Return to the Bathhouse
by Avasinclair123
Summary: It's been 8 long years. During an awful storm The Kohaku River swells and breaks free of it's confinement. Will Haku be able to communicate with Chihiro now?
1. Eight Long years

_"Whatever you do, don't look back."_  
><em>"We'll meet again, I promise."<em>  
><em>"Don't look back..."<em>  
><em>"Meet again"<em>  
><em>"Look back"<em>  
><em>"Promise"<em>

The river spirit tossed and turned as an old dream plauged him. It was the same one he had been having since she went back home, 8 years ago. He had known her since she was a child. She had dropped her little pink shoe in his river, then fell in trying to retrieve it. There were many humans in his river that day, and he paid them little mind, until she fell in. To this day he didn't know what possessed him to carry her to shallow waters.

He sighed and thought about when they met again. He was just getting back from a mission for Yubaba, the witch of the bath house, when he sensed humans in the spirit world. Unheard of, even in his very long lifetime. He went to investigate and found a young girl wandering around. Instantly it felt as if his very soul recognized her. He told her to leave before sun down, but it was too late. Her parents ate the food for the spirits and were turned to pigs. He saved her from disappearing and instructed her to get a job. After Yubaba took her name, much like she took everyone elses, he helped her remember that her name wasn't Sen. It was -

"Chihiro" he whispered her name to himself.

What did she do to him? What power did a mere human have on a powerful River Dragon? Even as he asked himself the questions he knew his answer.

He had been cruel to her. After assuring her that he was her friend, he was cruel to her. When Yubaba gave her a job she summoned him. Chihiro tried to talk to him but he snapped at her not to talk to him, and to call him Master Haku. She looked on the verge of tears and he had to fight hard to keep his expressionless face. He knew that he hurt her feelings, and for some reason the thought made him want to hurt himself. Even after all that she believed in him. The others at the bathhouse always told her what he had done, how he was Yubaba's henchman and she shouldn't believe anything he said. Yet she did believe him. She saved him when he got sick from stealing Yubaba's sister's Zeniba's golden seal. Her love for him had broke the spell on it. Then she returned the seal to Zeniba and plead for her forgiveness on his behalf. Not only that but she had figured out his name.

"Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi" he whispered to himself.

He had tried to get back to his river countless times, but it was filled up, of course, a river never really died, it was running underground now, but he couldn't use it to get to the human world, to her.

"Haku!** Hakuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu** HAK-" he door burst open and Lin ran in. "Zeniba sent a message, it stormed last night in the human world. By your river"

"And?" Haku asked cooly, even though he got along with Lin, she knew he didn't like hearing about the human world.

"Don't you get it you dolt? It stormed so bad that the apartments flooded, the water got underground and swelled, your river burst free. Haku, your river is above ground again, and it's still raining."

Haku sighed, "Lin, even if I get to the human world through my river I can't walk along the human world, I have to remain in my river, which means that SHE needs to be at my river for me to see her again."

Lin's face fell. "Maybe she'll be at the river." she said hopefully.

"Lin it's raining, and why would she go back to the river that she almost drowned in?"

"To see you again." Lin said hopefully.

"She's probably forgotten about me know" Haku sighed.

Chihiro was speechless, Nagiori, her boyfriend of three years was down on one knee. He had just asked her to marry him. Chihiro didn't know what to say.

"I'm only 18" she barely got out.

"I know, I'm not saying we have to get married right away, but, you're beautiful. I want you to wear my ring on your finger so others know that you belong to me." he told her.

"And a T-shirt wouldn't work?" she flinched when the words came out. In truth she didn't want to be engaged. She still dreamt of him every night. "Haku" she whispered.

"Chihiro? Earth to Chihiro!" Nagiori stood up. "So is that a no?"

"I'm sorry." she told him. "I'm just not ready to be engaged."

"Alright, want me to take you home?" he asked.

"Sure"

They climbed in the car and drove in silence. Finally Chihiro couldn't stand it and she flicked on the radio. "In other news, the heavy rains continue to cause havok."

"Our house almost got flooded, luckily we aren't by a river" Nagiori told her, "All the rivers are swelling, even those that haven't been seen in decades."

Chihiro pretended like the news didn't excite her, "Thank goodness you're away from the river" she mumbled and turned up the radio when the announcer mentioned her old town.

"The apartment complex that were built on the filled in Kohaku River are flooded. Tenants say that they did everything to prevent it, but the water seemed to come from the ground up. In other news, American representatives state-" Chihiro flicked off the radio. She seemed deep in thought.

_"Remember Chihiro, I am your friend"_  
><em>"I've known you since you were very little"<em>  
><em>"You don't remember your name?" "No, but for some reason I remember yours"<em>  
><em>"Chihiro, I remember you falling into the river, and I remember your little pink shoe."<em>  
><em>"We'll see each other again, I promise"<em>  
><em>"Whatever you do don't look back"<em>  
><em>"Chihiro."<em>  
><em>"Chihiro"<em>

"Chihiro! Earth the Chihiro, we're here" Nagiori said and unlocked the door. Chihiro was stunned, they were like thirty minutes away, had she really blanked out for that long?

"Oh thanks" she muttered and climbed out of the car. Nagiori sped off as soon as she closed the door. Chihiro winced, great, he was mad at her.

She couldn't stop thinking about the Kohaku River. Without thinking she climbed in her car and drove the long way to her old town and to the apartment complex. She was in shock at what she saw.


	2. Weathering the Storm

Chihiro looked around at the damage done by the storm and the river. Trees were falling on buildings, which were being  
>swept by the water into other trees, which were falling into other buildings. She shook her head as tears welled up in her<br>eyes at the damage done to Haku's river.

Haku decided to try to see if he could sense a change in his river. He told Lin so, so she left him alone for a few hours.  
>The bathhouse hadn't opened yet anyways. To his surprise he could feel the river surging stronger than ever.<p>

"Maybe Zeniba was right" he muttered.

Suddenly pain seized him. At the exact moment that Chihiro saw the tree falling, he felt it. He was writhing in agony as he  
>felt the pollution of his river.<p>

Chihiro cried out as another tree fell into the river, and a car floated past her. The motion caused the water to lap up  
>over her feet and ankles. As soon as the water touched her she felt unending sadness and fell to her knees crying hard.<p>

Haku felt the moment that she touched the water. He knew she was there and he tried to focus on her. He felt her sadness  
>and cried with her.<p>

"Chihiro...**CHIHIRO**!"

He screamed so loud that Lin burst back into his room.

"Haku? What's wrong? HAKU!"

The comotion caused Yubaba to come down, she saw her apprentice writhing in pain and tried to use a spell to ease it.

"It's no use. Lin what was he doing?"

"He was trying to sense his river."

"That explains it. When he tried to sense it, he became connected to it. Whatever is happening to the river is happening to  
>him." Yubaba said, "I guess I'll have to call my annoying sister" She mumbled.<p>

"Chihiro...Chihiro" Haku kept mumbling.

Zeniba showed up, "What's going on?" She asked Yubaba then noticed Haku. "Oh my."

She heard him calling for her. "Haku use this" she placed her golden seal in his hand, "Use the power Haku, bring her here"

Yubaba laughed, "You know humans can only enter through the gate Zeniba."

Zeniba shook her head, "There is something Haku has that is stronger than the rules Yubaba, the power of my seal will make  
>that even stronger" she said.<p>

"What's that?" Lin asked her.

"Love" Zeniba answered.

At that moment Haku turned into his dragon form. His eyes glowed and he turned brown and showed the sign of pollution. His  
>body arched and a look of pain came to his dragon face.<p>

Chihiro didn't notice as the water swelled around her. It went over her knees waist, and shoulders. Finally she was sucked  
>under the murky water. She opened her eyes and noticed the brown water around her. She cried even harder. Suddenly she was<br>pulled by a sudden undertow. She gasped and saw a white light get closer and closer. As she floated under a truck she was  
>suddenly holding onto horns. She gasped again as the dragon spirit carried her to the spirit world. She toppled over and<br>looked around, she vaguely noticed Lin, Yubaba and Zeniba. Her focus suddenly went on Haku's dragon form still writhing in  
>pain.<p>

"Haku? Haku!" she raced over to him and grabbed his snout to try to keep him from hurting himself. She noticed that his fur  
>around his mouth was slimy.<p>

"Help me get him to the bath" she told Lin and the others.

They carried him to the big bath and Chihiro ran to get a bath token.

"A human?" cried the foreman.

Chihiro didn't even ask, she just grabbed a bath token and sprinted back to Haku. Lin took the token and got the water from  
>Kamajii. Chihiro pulled the rope and the water poured all over the injured spirit.<p>

"Please be ok, please be ok" she kept whispering as Haku was covered in the murky water.

In the human world the rain had finally stopped and the sun came out. The humans were moving large trees and cars out of  
>the way of the way when suddenly the river surged again and swept out all the debris away. Almost as if by magic.<p>

Pain, pain, pain. Haku was in unbearable pain. His pain got worse when he no longer felt her. Suddenly he heard her. Her  
>voice, demanding, musical, beautiful. He felt himself being lifted and lowered into the big bath. He felt the water. Then<br>he heard her voice asking him to be ok. That simple plea gave him the will to fix himself, to be ok for her. His eyes  
>glowed white and he felt himself explode up out of the water and felt the pain leave him.<p>

Chihiro was watching the event play out. She saw his body go from mucky brown to his normal beautiful color.

"Haku!" she called as he landed at her feet.

"What's the matter with him, why hasn't he changed back?"

"He's fine child," Zeniba assured her, "He's just tired. It takes a lot to go between Dragon and human forms, now, I must  
>go, I left No-Face alone" she disappeared.<p>

"Help me get him to his room" Chihiro asked her Lin and Yubaba.

"Uh, Sen, you're fading" Lin said in an apprehensive voice.

In all the excitment everyone forgot that the young woman was only human and she disappeared unless she ate the food of the  
>world. Yubaba called for food to be brought to her. Chihiro ate quickly and saw herself reappear. She set her bowl down and<br>followed as they moved Haku back to his room. They threw a large blanket over him and Yubaba turned to Chihiro.

"Sen, you can stay with him until he wakes up, then you're going to work" She told her then walked out.

Chihiro curled herself up next to Haku and let herself drift off to sleep. At some point during the night she sobbed in her  
>sleep and buried her face in his fur. Her tears wet his face.<p> 


	3. The Proposal

Haku's senses were numb. He no longer knew where he was or what was going on around him. He felt like he was floating. His

vision got better and he saw himself with a young woman next to him. He didn't recognize her, who was she? He saw her bury

her face in him and her name floated into his thoughts.

"Chihiro"

He felt the first teardrop and a burning sensation as the single tear made a trail down his face. He winced and was pulled

into his body. His scales seemed to shatter and he turned back to his human form.

He was dreaming, he had to be dreaming. There was no way she could be there lying next to him. There was no way he could

feel her next to him. There was no way she could be there. She was there, he could feel her breathe warm on his face, her

warmth, he reached and stroked her cheek.

"Chihiro"

She stirred when he said her name. He tried to move slowly, to get up so she wouldn't be disturbed. It was too much for

him, he hadn't seen her for eight years and yet here she was. She was so beautiful. His senses were suddenly on overdrive. He took in her features, her scent, he reached out a shaky hand and stroked her soft face. Here she was, the little human that turned his world upside down.

Chihiro felt something feather soft touch her face. She opened her eyes and looked up at him. Her mouth fell open, he had

aged. He was no longer the young boy she left behind. A faint blush rose to her cheeks as she looked at him. She reached her own hand out to touch his face and they just looked into each other's eyes for a few moments. Neither the river spirit

or the human girl knew what to do. Chihiro's mind was in turmoil, should she hug him, shake his hand, kiss him? Her mind was screaming at her to do something but she couldn't move after she felt his face in her hand.

"Haku" she whispered and it seemed like the spell on them was broken.

Moving faster than she had ever done before she threw herself into his arms.

"Haku! It's you! It's really you!" fresh tears fell down her cheeks.

Haku grunted in pain but he didn't want to let her go. He held her as tight as he possibly could.

"Chihiro you're really here" he stroked her hair softly and closed his eyes.

"Aw how sweet!"

At Lin's voice the two jumped apart.

"Man Sen, don't even say hi to you're old roomate, I see how it is."

"Don't you know how to knock?" Haku snapped and tried to stand.

Chihiro, seeing the look of pain that came to his face, pushed him back down, "No, don't move." she told him before turning

to Lin, "I'm glad to see you Lin" she said in a cool voice.

A look of hurt came the the woman's face, "Just glad?" she said in a small voice. "Ooof" She was knocked backwards as Chihiro tackled her.

"No I'm not just glad, I'm ecstatic! Do you know how much I missed you?" Chihiro hugged her friend tightly.

"I missed you too, you dolt." Lin laughed and stood up as soon as Chihiro let her go. "I've been taking care of your River Spirit and keeping females away from him."

Haku frowned, "Lin" he said in a dangerous voice, like he wanted Chihiro to know about...he shuddered just thinking about

her.

"Huh? Care to explain?" She asked Haku and Lin.

"No"

"Sure"

Haku glared and Lin who smiled sweetly. "She should know, what is she going to do when Soren comes back begging for a proposal?" Haku winced.

Chihiro felt a flash of jealousy surge through her. "What's going on?" she demanded.

Haku sighed, "Let me tell her than." He told Lin. "There's a certain Ocean Spirit, her parents tried to pay me into marrying her, I refused, of course, but she is insistant. They've been trying to trick me into doing it. No matter how many times I tell her I'm not interested she comes back." he shuddered again.

"An Ocean Spirit?" Chihiro frowned, "Is she pretty?" She asked without thinking.

Lin nodded, "She's the most beautiful of all the Ocean Spirits." She said, not knowing what it would do to Chihiro to hear it. "ow!" she rubbed her head after Haku threw a shoe at her, "Hey!"

Haku pointed at the human. Chihiro's eyes were welled up with tears. She was yawning, trying to hide it, but the tears overflowed and spilled over her cheeks. If Haku was turning down a beautiful spirit, what hope did she have? But that was silly, she didn't like Haku that way. Or did she? She shook her head.

Lin's face flushed, "What's wrong?" she asked.

Chihiro shook her head again, "Nothing, just thinking of back home. My...fiance is going to be worried about me."

Haku felt as if the world stopped spinning. Fiance? She had a fiance. He felt his face turn into a mask as an unbelievable spark of anger moved through him, she couldn't be betrothed to someone else! She was his! He blinked, What was he thinking? Chihiro wasn't his, she was just his friend. What did it matter if she was to be married to a human. His heart, however, broke at the thought of her spending her lifetime with someone else.

Haku cleared his throat, "Congratulations" he said.

Chihiro nodded, "Thanks" she whispered. It hurt knowing she had lied to him, but she couldn't think of anything else to say for why she was crying.

Haku frowned, his heart hurt. Chihiro was engaged. He sighed, "I should get going, I promised Boh I'd take him to see Zeniba today" he said and turned into his dragon form and flew out the window without a second glance at Lin or Chihiro.

Chihiro winced, _Great, made two guys mad at me in one day. Way to go Chihiro._


	4. The Ocean Spirit

It had been three days since Haku was supposed to take Boh to visit Zeniba, and Haku still hadn't returned. Boh had, Chihiro knew this when she went to visit Yubaba to get a job. She still smiled at Boh's reaction.

"Sen? SEN!" The giant baby charged at her and lifted her up, crushing her ribs and sternum. "SEN I MISSED YOU! YOU WERE GONE FOR SO LONG!"

"It was only eight years" Yubaba mumbled, "You spent more time than that asleep."

"It was still a long time. I missed her" Boh retaliated and tried to pull her into his room. "Mommah make Sen my official playmate!"

"WHAT?" Yubaba was furious at the thought.

Chihiro intervened "Actually I wanted to go back to my old job. Working with Lin."

"Yes ok. You'll also be working with Haku" Yubaba told her.

Chihiro tried to hide her disdain. She knew Haku wasn't happy about her being engaged and she didn't know why.

"He loves you," Lin's voice broke through Chihiro's day dream.

"Haku? Are you crazy? He doesn't care for me that way. He probably thinks of be as a pesky human." Chihiro said.

"Why don't you just ask him?" Lin asked, "He'll tell you the truth."

"How am I supposed to ask him? I haven't seen him in three days!"

"When he gets back you dolt. He'll have to come back soon." Lin shook her head, "You missed a spot" she said pointing to the tub that Chihiro had been scrubbing. The whole tub was dirty, since Chihiro was just focusing on one spot during her whole day dream.

"You better stop day dreaming, Yubaba is going to be furious"

Chihiro sighed and threw her back into cleaning that tub.

Six days later, still no word from Haku. Chihiro's human stench had finally faded and she was sore all over, but she could finally keep up with Lin and the rest of the girls.

_She was in the middle of scrubbing the big tub when she felt a hand on her shoulder._

"_I have something to show you" Came a familiar voice._

_Chihiro turned to see Haku walking away. She followed him out to the bridge, then passed it. He took her back to the spot where he had heard her cry 8 years ago. She looked at him. _

"_What is it?" She finally asked when he made no move to turn around. Still he didn't turn._

"_Haku, I have to get back to work, what?" She put her hand on his shoulder and he turned, his eyes were red, his hair turned black and his clothes was replaced by a blue shirt and pants. "Stay away from me" he said angrily. "You are nothing but a disgusting human and I never want to see you again. I'm sorry you came back, and I'm glad you're engaged. Get out of here and go home, I'm marrying the Ocean Spirit." _

_'Haku' pushed her and she fell back, and kept falling until she landed in an ocean. The green water filled her nose and pushed passed her lips into her mouth she coughed and tried to return to the surface only to get yanked back down again. All she could hear was an angry voice chanting, "He's mine, mine, mine, mine, MINE!" Just as her vision was turning black a force moved under her. She was gripping horns and getting pulled to the surface. When she broke the surface of the water she woke up. _

"Chihiro?" She was being shaken hard, her lungs were screaming for air. She felt felt pressure on her chest and someone put their lips to hers. She felt her chest rise as air was forced down her lungs. She felt her body jerk and she barely made it on her side before a cascade of water erupted from her mouth.

"What happened?" Her throat was raw and her mouth tasted like salt water.

Haku was standing over her along with Lin and the girls in the room.

"A spell was put on you. Tell me, was there a girl here at the bathhouse earlier? She has black hair, red eyes, and always wears a blue dress? Goes by the name of Kai?" he asked Lin.

"Um, yah, there was a girl here I think. I didn't see her." Lin answered.

"I did. She just wanted a bath and a meal. She was nice until..." Yousei trailed off.

"Until what?" Haku demanded.

"Until Lin and Sen walked by talking about you. She got real angry and the water started to boil. Then she left abruptly"

Haku nodded, "I knew it. She came here to investigate, what were you two talking about?" He asked Lin and Chihiro.

"Sen was asking me about Soren, if she was powerful, and other stuff." Lin bit her lip.

"I was asking her if you were lying about not wanting her." Chihiro said bluntly, "She said that you cared about me and that Soren meant nothing. I guess she didn't hear when I called Lin a liar"

Haku blinked at Chihiro, "But I do...I mean, that explains it. She put a spell on you to enter your dreams and drown you from them."

Chihiro groaned, then winced from the pain in her throat. "Great, a jealous Ocean Spirit is trying to kill me."

Haku nodded, "You shouldn't worry, I'll tell her that you are to be married to someone else. She'll leave you alone."

Chihiro winced from the cool tone in his voice. It was as if she was a child again and he was telling her not to speak to him and to address him as Master.

"Good, I have a lot of work to do, and I don't have time to deal with jealous girls. So let all your other females know." she said angrily, even though her voice shook.

Chihiro stood up and turned her head so he wouldn't see the tears, "Haven't seen you in eight years, then I get dragged back here, only to be attacked."

She turned on her heel and ran out of the room.

Haku winced from her words, "Chihiro wait" he tried to follow her, but she was fast for a human. He sighed then hung his head. "I keep messing up" he mumbled.

"Yah you do" Said Lin, who had been quiet throughout the entire exchange. "You took of for almost a week and left her here alone."

That thought just made Haku feel more horrible. He walked out of the room and tried to find her.

When he finally found her, Chihiro was curled up in the pig pen crying. She had thrown stuff around, but the pigs didn't mind. Haku stood in the entrance of the pen, his heart felt like it was being sliced right down the middle. He had never meant to hurt her that bad. He was about to take a step in when he sensed someone behind him. He turned around and came face to face with Soren. She was beautiful, this was true. Her hair was the color of midnight, and her eyes the color of a red moon. Always clothed in blue, she looked serene. That fact made her dangerous.

"Haku, I didn't know you played with pigs" she said looking past him to Chihiro. "What do you see in her, she's not even pretty." She flicked her hand and Chihiro was pulled from her hiding place and forced to float between the two spirits.

Soren lifted Chihiro's chin, "She's ugly even. Her face is all dirty and her hair is a mess. Her clothes are tacky." She turned Chihiro around, "She has no potential. So scrawny. Her hips are narrow, she'll never be able to bear children. She doesn't even have the right type of curves." She flicked her hand again and Chihiro was released, the young woman fell in a heap on the floor.

"That's enough" Haku said and moved to help Chihiro up. He tugged on her hand and pulled the human behind him to shield her.

"I didn't hear you deny it." Soren said with a scornful laugh. "Just admit that she has nothing on me."

Haku gave her a dangerous look. Chihiro gasped when she saw traces of the dragon in his human features.

"You're right. She doesn't have the beauty you do." Haku admitted. Chihiro looked as if he slapped her, "She's more beautiful than you'll ever be. She is kind, and selfless. The first time she was here she allowed herself to be under Yubaba's contract to save her parents. She saved me from the curse on Zeniba's Seal, and the slug Yubaba used to control me. She put her life in danger to go ask for forgiveness on my behalf and she was smart enough to figure out Yubaba's test." He looked back at Chihiro then to Soren, "Her soul is beautiful as is her heart. Your heart is a shriveled black thing."

Soren looked at Haku then burst out laughing, "The River Dragon is in love with a human!" she said then suddenly turned dangerous.

The air around Chihiro changed and suddenly she was caught in a cube of water. The water was crushing her and forcing it's way into her nose and mouth. Chihiro couldn't move and could only look in panic. Haku forced his way into the cube and the water turned into air as Haku manipulated the molecules to feed her oxygen, then he broke the cube.

"Never do that to her again." he said in a low voice to Soren. "Leave now."

He picked up Chihiro, who had fallen into a heap on the floor, and carried her to the bathhouse.


	5. Plans

Soren glared at Haku's back, then turned her hateful look to the girl in his arms. That stupid human. She ruined her plans by coming back here. Haku was almost hers then the human had to return. She suddenly got an idea.

"Wind, go get Miyaki, tell her to meet me at the bathhouse" She ordered the wind, who responded.

Within seconds a white dove flew down from the heavens and landed on Soren's shoulder. She jumped down and transformed into a little girl with pink hair, red eyes, and a white dress. Miyaki smirked up at Soren.

"What can I do for you?" She asked her friend.

"You can spy on Haku and the human. He isn't going to leave her alone, so you're going to have to figure out how to isolate the girl. Call me when she is alone." Soren told her.

Miyaki frowned, "Human? Is that the same one that was here 8 years ago? The one that saved The River God?" She asked, "You're not going to hurt her are you?"

Soren skewered her with a look, "I want to get rid of her. Don't make me reveal what I know." she threatened.

Miyaki shivered, "Fine. I'll spy on her."

Miyaki turned back into a dove and flew to a window of the bathhouse. She would bide her time until she could get in.

Soren reached out and summoned her little brother. Mangetsu looked like his sister, but his colors were reversed, Blue hair, Black eyes, and Red clothing. Soren smirked at her brother.

"Brother dear I have a job for you. Miyaki is working to isolate the human that my Haku is infatuated with, but I need you to get rid of her. Haku said she has a beautiful heart, bring it to me." She ordered.

Mangetsu nodded, "As you wish sister." he bowed and turned into a black dragon and flew away.

Soren nodded, pleased with herself. "Now to get mommy and daddy to help me." she said and turned to her dragon form. She flew herself to her parents' grotto.

Yuri and Shinrin were in their home, they were going about on their individual jobs, but they shared glances with each other. Soren stormed in and broke the spell that the two spirits were weaving. Sighing Yuri turned to her daughter.

"Yes, Soren?" She asked in a tired voice.

"Mother, you know what I want. I want Haku!" Soren said with a pout.

"He does not want you." Shinrin told her. "He wants another."

"He wants a human" Soren said scornfully. "He'll give me up for his little human wench." She stamped her foot, looking more like a spoiled child, "I want her gone. Make her go back to the human world where she belongs."

"How did she get here?" Asked Yuri.

"Haku pulled her through." Shinrin told his wife.

"Only great love can do that." Yuri observed. "It will be hard to send her away. She did not come from the gate, only he can send her back."

"Or she can die" Soren replied.

Completely oblivious to the planning going on, Chihiro and Haku were asleep in his room. Haku was afraid to have her out of his sight, since the vengeful Ocean Spirit was after her. His hand was close to hers, as if they fell asleep holding hands.

Miyaki was watching from her perch. She thought it looked cute and would have been happy to leave the couple be. She knew she couldn't. Soren had so much on her. Soren knew that Miyaki was the one that messed up and got the Lost City of Atlantis sunck. She sighed and thought back of that day.

_She had been in love back then. The simple wind spirit was traveling along the human world when a hawk attacked her dove form. She was badly injured and landed in a tree. As darkness overtook her she felt herself fall, fearing the worse she was surprised when she was caught by warm calloused hands. She opened one eye wearily to see a handsome man carry her close to his chest. She watched at he carried her to his home, and was amazed when he mended her injured wing. She stayed with him for many days and grew to love him. In his sleep one night she showed herself to him in a dream. She proclaimed his love, and, in the dream at least, he claimed to love her in return. She visited him every night and they expressed their love in the physical way. Until the day came when he went out and found another. She was from the Lost City. Back then it was just known as The City of Atlantis. He stopped opening himself to her in his sleep. She tried to take him to the spirit world, to be with him forever, but he refused. When she asked him why, he revealed that he loved the human girl. Angry and vengeful, she tried to destroy the girl. She got help from Soren, the Spirit of the Ocean as she was know in the human world. Miyaki caused winds and called a Storm Spirit to ravish the land. The plan was to catch the human girl and Soren would pull her into the ocean. They didn't plan on her being under cover. Soren warned her to stop, but Miyaki was angry, she wanted the girl dead at all cost. She told the Ocean Spirit that she would do anything to have the human man. Soren warned her of the consequences, and Miyaki agreed to take the responsibility. Soren caused the ocean to swell and a massive wave to come up and consume the whole city. Unknown to both of them, the Twins of Life intervened for the City and saved them using their magic to keep the ocean out of the now underwater civilization. Unknown to Miyaki, her human male was there that day too. Soren took responsibility for the incident, in doing so, she got Miyaki as her slave._

Miyaki sighed and circled the house, trying to find a way to isolate the girl. Unknown to her, she was being followed by Mangetsu. He got curious and peeked into the window to see Haku and his human. Instantly he fell in love with the girl. He knew he had to bring his sister her heart, but to do that he would need a powerful demon. Instead he went to the pens and slaughtered a pig, he brought back the pig heart to his sister.

Soren saw the heart and was surprised, "That was quick."

"He was asleep. She was wandering the bathhouse, it was simple." He told his sister.

"Hmmm...Miyaki, report." she called to her spy. Mangetsu had already taken care of her. When the dove arrived, Mangetsu gave her a private look.

"The girl's heart has been stolen." Miyaki recited, "She is dying slowly."

"Good. Good," Soren nodded. She was pleased with them. "I'll go see Haku later today. Maybe now he'll be more, willing to marry me"

**((Hey guys, I know this chapter wasn't that much about our hero's and the next chapter is going to be a lot of background information about my characters.))**


	6. That hurt Haku

Blissfully unaware of anything going on, Chihiro and Haku got to work at the bathhouse. Yubaba was on a rampage, someone had stolen some gold out of her office. Chihiro suspected it was some of No-Face's "gold" that turned to mud after some time. Haku, however figured it was just Boh doing it for his own entertainment. Whoever it was, Yubaba wasn't happy. She cut everyone's pay down to almost nothing and started charging her employees for food so until she made the amount of gold back.

Chihiro was supposed to be working with Lin that day, but Haku needed to go on a mission for Yubaba, he was to take something to Miyaki, a wind spirit. Unknown to him, Miyaki was a forced friend of Soren. Since he had to take something delicate, he took Chihiro with him to carry it while she rode on his back. At least, that's what he told Yubaba for the reason he needed Chihiro. Yubaba, who was still furious about the missing gold, was not happy about Chihiro not doing work, but Haku wouldn't drop the matter, and Chihiro wasn't under contract.

Haku made sure Chihiro was bundled up tightly in warm clothing, he knew they could end up in the coldest part of the Spirit World, depending on where Miyaki was spending the day. All Haku knew was that wind spirits enjoyed blustery conditions, so he wasn't going to take any chances. After making sure Chihiro could barely walk, Haku transformed himself into a dragon and Chihiro climbed on his back. Yubaba handed her the parcel, then, in a moment of kindness, fashioned a rope around Chihiro and Haku's horns so she wouldn't fall off. Of course the moment was ruined when Yubaba said that it was only because the package was so expensive.

They had barely taken off when another dragon was approaching in the distance. Haku's eyes widened when he recognized her. Soren was going to pay him another visit.

"Haku, who's that?" Chihiro asked.

"_It's Soren. Don't worry Chihiro you'll be fine" _Haku told her, she didn't know where his voice came from, only that she felt his words.

"How are you talking to me?"

"_I can talk to you through the water in your body." _

"_So can I." _Chihiro felt physically sick when she heard that voice, _"You're supposed to be dead. What are you still doing here?" _

Chihiro frowned, "Dead? Who told you I was dead?"

"_But I...I burned your heart myself. I know I did." _Soren kept saying.

Chihiro was forced to grab on as Haku dove to get under her. He was glowing and Chihiro could feel his power.

"_Chihiro, I'm going to make sure you're safe. Wait for me until I come back for you."_

With those final words the world shifted. Chihiro was back under water and the sun was bright. She felt strong hands lift her up.

"Are you alright miss?" A man asked her.

Chihiro gasped when it dawned on her. She was back in the human world. She felt herself being dragged out of the river. She tried to fight back, but more hands pulled her out onto dry ground.

"No! Haku HAKU!" She cried and struggled.

"Haku? Did someone fall into the river? It's not safe, there is a strong current." The man said and released her.

Chihiro fell to her knees crying. Why had he taken her back? Why? She slammed her fists on the ground. She didn't hear when he told her that he would be back for her. Her heart hurt when she thought that he didn't want her in the spirit world with him anymore. She stood up and refused the towel that was handed to her. All she wanted to do was get out of there and try to make her way back through the gate. She walked to where she had left her car days ago, relieved that no one had moved it. She climbed in and started it with the spare key that she had taped under the seat. She started on the long drive home.

Chihiro checked her house first. There were countless messages asking where she was. It seemed like she was gone for a month. She blinked at the thought then remembered, she had been in the spirit world for a month. It didn't feel that long. She called her mom and told her a lie about visiting a friend. Then called Nagiori and told him the same lie. Both people believed her story, especially when she mentioned that she couldn't deal with Nagiori's proposal. Both parties were just relieved that she was ok. She assured them that she was, but she was just tired.

Instead of going to bed, Chihiro drove to the entrance to the Spirit World. She walked through the weird building, and came to the other side...nothing. She sighed and walked back out. Of course she didn't expect anything to happen. The only way she made it through the first time was by sheer luck. This last time was because Haku pulled her through himself. Then he sent her back. She fell to her knees as a sob broke in her throat. He had sent her back. He didn't want her there. She was just a pain to him and as soon as he saw that and he saw that Soren wanted him, he ditched her.

Wait...Haku wasn't like that. Why was she thinking that? She KNEW Haku, he saved her more times than she could count. Why did she doubt him. Was it because of the abrupt way they departed this time? She shook herself and stood back up and got in her car. She would figure out a way to get back in, one way or another.

Haku could have kicked himself. He knew Chihiro wouldn't stay at the river, but he had to leave her behind. Soren was getting ready to attack her and try to kill her. He had to keep her safe in a place where Soren couldn't get to her. He searched for her frantically when he finally got rid of Soren. That in it's own was a pain. He had to race back to the Bathhouse and frantically asked Yubaba to keep her out. Yubaba was sarcastic about it, but Boh got her to put a protection spell around the house and keep Soren out. He paced his room, knowing that Soren was outside waiting for him to come out. Where was Chihiro? Why did she leave the river? It didn't occur to him that Chihiro didn't hear him telling her to wait. _Maybe she just doesn't want to come back_. The thought entered his head _Maybe she is tired of this world and wants to return to her old life._ He shook his head. _No Chihiro loved being in the Spirit World. She wouldn't leave us. _He mentally shook himself and sat on the floor and started meditating on the Kohaku River. He would wait until he felt her presence.

A week after returning, Chihiro still couldn't get to the river. Nagiori was constantly with her, and her parents came down to visit. They kept her busy and chastised her for leaving for so long without telling them. Chihiro knew that she had to get back if she ever wanted the hope of returning to Haku. She eventually had to tell her parents and Nagiori that she was tired and needed time to herself. They finally relented and she hopped in her car and drove back to the river.

Within the week Haku hadn't emerged from his room. Yubaba was getting angry, and was demanding him to get back to work. She had tried to drag him out of his room, but when she walked in it smelled of water and the room rippled as if it was under water. Haku was in the center if it, in his dragon form, and looking powerful and dangerous. Yubaba backed out of the room slowly, suddenly afraid of her old apprentice. She suspected that he had that much power, but he had never shown it before. The old crone sighed and grudgingly gave in, but she gave the other workers of the bathhouse a hard time for it. Especially when Miyaki knocked on the door of the House and demanded her parcel, only to find that it was lost. Yubaba made life hell for her employees, since Miyaki demanded payment for it.

Unfortunately, when Chihiro set foot in the river, Haku wasn't there! The dragon had gotten hungry and decided that she probably wasn't going to visit the river at 3 in the morning. He left his river a second before she stepped in. Chihiro waited for about an hour then gave up. She walked to the edge and sat down with her feet still in it in case he returned to it.

"Haku where are you?" she said to the river. "It's been a week, I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner, my family and Nagiori, who is not really my fiance, kept me busy. I barely got away and I decided to come visit you, since I couldn't sleep. I drove for a long time, since I live many miles away. I miss you. I want to go home. Please come back." she waited for an answer, and when she didn't get one she stood up and kicked at the water. "I waited years to go back Haku, YEARS! When you took me back in, I thought you were finally going to let me stay! Then you brought me back here...that hurt Haku. It really hurt." Tears fell into the glassy surface.

Haku was just finishing up eating and cleaning up his meal. He was just putting away the last bowl when he felt the tear. The bowl slipped out of his hand and he turned to his dragon shape. He connected with his river and found her. She was just a foot away from the water and she was putting on her shoes and rolling down her pants. Haku tried to reach out to her, he tried to make the water lap up to her, but it was no use. She was walking away! Growing frantic he searched within himself for something that he could use to get her back. Pulling everything from himself he was able to surface in the human world! He was transparent, but it was a start.

"Chihiro!" he called, his voice sounded like the wind but he was relieved when she turned.

"Haku?" She squinted, "I could have sworn I heard his voice."

She took a step towards the water and Haku used that as his chance to show her that he was there. She gasped when she felt his presence. She fell forward and let herself be carried away by him. Gripping his horns she smiled when they emerged in the kitchens. Yubaba was standing over them, looking furious. Smoke was curling out of her mouth and her eyes snapped angrily.

"Finally! Haku, Sen, enough playing around! GET TO WORK!" she ordered and pointed towards the main building, "And Haku, find a way to fix her so this doesn't keep happening!"


	7. I love her

After a long day of work, Haku and Chihiro were about to fall asleep on their feet. Haku led Chihiro back to his room and told her of his idea that she should stay with him, where he could protect her. At first Chihiro was apprehensive about spending the night in Haku's room. She knew that she felt strongly about Haku, even if she refused to admit it to herself. She also knew that she wasn't a child anymore. The human and the spirit blushed when they found themselves in the situation, Haku was wearing only pants, and Chihiro had on a blue backless undershirt and pants. Chihiro bit her lip and her color deepened when she payed attention to Haku's defined abs. He chuckled when he realized the source of her discomfort.

"Would it help if I put on a shirt?" he had asked.

"No!" Chihiro said too quickly, "I mean, whatever makes you comfortable, besides, this is just so Soren can't attack me in my sleep right?"

"Er...right." he answered.

In reality Haku forgot all about Soren being able to attack Chihiro in her sleep. He was just thinking of holding her in his arms for the night. _Wait, where is this coming from?_ He thought to himself. He didn't feel that way about her. _But I do...I really do care about her. A lot. Maybe more than I suspected. _The thought made him feel warm. The last time he had a feeling like that, Chihiro had just broken a spell on him. _Love broke that spell._ He mentally shook himself, Chihiro was waiting to see what to do.

"Would it help if I was a dragon?"

"Maybe." Chihiro told him, _Less temptation that way._

Haku nodded and turned into a dragon. Chihiro frowned and shook her head.

"Just change back Haku, it doesn't bother me." she decided.

Haku changed back and went to lie down. Chihiro followed him and curled up on the other pallet that was brought into his room, which was right next to his. She had actually fallen to sleep. About an hour into her slumber she was dreaming again, the dream started as before, but right when the fake Haku appeared, she felt pressure across her body and was jolted awake. Haku was awake and looking around on alert. He had his arm around her and was unconsciously pulling her closer to him. It felt nice and Chihiro automatically moved closer to him. She noticed his tense body and face and reached up to stroke his cheek.

"It's alright, I'm fine, she can't hurt me when I'm with you." she assured him.

Haku looked down at her and relaxed when he looked at her. _She's so beautiful. Maybe she won't mind if I..._He leaned down slowly as if to kiss her. Chihiro's eyes widened and her heart sped up. She had dreamed of this moment for years, was it actually going to happen? Haku suddenly moved away from her as if he was electrocuted.

Chihiro felt pain in her chest. Rejection set in and she winced, she turned to hide the tears in her eyes. It was silly. Haku was her friend, her best friend. Yes she cared about him, but he was her friend right? _Then why am I crying? Why did I care if he didn't want me here? _She felt Haku move closer to her.

"Chihiro I'm sorry." he whispered.

Chihiro just shook her head, "It's silly. I thought you were going to kiss me and I..." she bit her lip, "It's silly."

"You're feelings are hurt." he told her, hating himself for causing the tears in her eyes.

She shook her head and tried to smile. He whipped away her tears and sighed.

"I've never been in this position. I don't know what to do. All I know is that, when I do kiss...someone, I want it to be special. Not just in my room at the bathhouse." he told her.

"You've never been kissed." she let the reality of it sink in, "What have you been waiting for?" the question popped out of her mouth before she could control it.

Haku had never thought of that before. Many girls wanted him. He courted a few, but he never seemed to connect with any of them. Not like he connected with...

"I guess I've been waiting for someone who would care for me throughout anything, even time and distance."

Chihiro nodded, "That makes sense" she said in a sleepy voice. It was obvious that she didn't hear the last part what he said.

She yawned and curled up into Haku's chest.

"You're warm" she told him, and drifted off to sleep.

Haku was taken by surprise at her words and actions. He sighed and wrapped his arms around her. _I love you. _The words formed in his head, his lips wanted to speak them, but he held himself back. She was a human and she probably didn't feel that strongly about him, besides she was asleep.

The next morning, Chihiro woke up to find herself still in Haku's arms. She didn't know what woke her so suddenly, until she paid attention to the rhythm of his chest.

"How long have you been awake?" She asked him.

"Not long, I didn't want to disturb you." He opened his eyes and smiled down at her. "Did you sleep well?"

She nodded then a memory entered her mind, "What did Yubaba mean by 'find a way to fix her so this doesn't keep happening' how can you fix me?"

Haku sighed and hesitated, "Yubaba is talking about doing something very difficult. Turning you into a spirit. There are only three beings that can do it, but no human has done it before."

"Who are the three beings?" Chihiro asked, suddenly alert.

"What? You mean you're considering it?" he asked surprised.

"Yah, I mean, if there is a way for me to stay here with you, Lin, and the rest without dying before you guys I'll take it!"

Haku suddenly stiffened up, "It's dangerous. Not only do we have to find these beings, we also have to convince them to do turn you into a spirit. Then you have to face a test, or a decision depending on who we talk to."

"Then lets go, now" she said.

Chihiro got up and ran out of the room tugging her shirt on. She ran smack into Lin.

"Hey, about time you emerge from here. I thought I was going to have to dump a bucket of water on you two." Lin teased.

Chihiro blushed, "Lin! Haku doesn't feel that way about me."

"Do you feel that way about him?" Lin asked suddenly concerned.

"Well, maybe...I don't know. It's so confusing. Let's talk about it later."

Lin nodded and dropped the subject "So where are you going in such a hurry?" she asked.

Chihiro looked confused, still trying to figure out how she felt about Haku. "Huh? Oh I need to talk to Zeniba." she told her friend.

Haku, who was listening at the door and heard Chihiro admit that she might feel a certain way about him suddenly emerged, he acted as if he heard nothing except the last bit.

"I'll take you to Zeniba's"

"First we need to talk buster." Lin said and pushed him back into his room.

Chihiro laughed a bit at the scared look on Haku's face and ran off to get breakfast and go play with Boh for a bit.

"What are you thinking Haku?" Lin asked as soon as she sensed that Chihiro was gone, "Don't you know what will happen if you and Chihiro...er...do it? She'll never be able to go home, and she'll..." 

"She'll never be able to pass Shinigami or the Twin's tests, I know! But she doesn't feel the same way I feel about her." he told Lin.

"And how do you feel about her?" Lin asked him.

"I love her." Haku confessed, shocked at how easy it was to admit it.

Lin sighed and shook her head, "That might come in handy, but still...don't act on it." she warned.

"How did you become an expert in this?" he asked the young woman.

"I am older than you. I've seen what happens when a human and a Spirit consummate their love before the human can be granted eternal life." her eyes suddenly turned sad, "He dies and she spends her life working at a bathhouse."

"Lin, did that happen to you?" Haku asked.

"No you dolt! I'm not stupid enough to fall in love with a human." The smile on her face took the sting away from the insult.

Haku just shook his head as Lin walked out of her room. Now she was on a mission to see how Chihiro felt about Haku.

Lin found Chihiro sitting on the balcony of their old room. She sat down next to her and looked at her friend.

"I snagged you a dumpling."

"Just like you did the last time I was here." Chihiro smiled.

"So it's time we talk. How do you feel about Haku?" she asked Chihiro bluntly, expecting the human to put up a struggle.

"I love him" Chihiro said simply, "I didn't admit it to myself because I was afraid of getting hurt, but I've loved him, in different ways, since he saved me as a toddler." Chihiro looked out at the horizon, "I've never been kissed" she admitted.

"What? But you have a fiance!" Lin's eyes got huge.

"I lied about that. I don't know why, but I never let Nagiori kiss me. I never let anyone kiss me. Even though we were dating, I told him I wanted to wait until our wedding day. In reality I just hoped that one day Haku would come back for me."

Chihiro had a far away look in her eye, "I would dream about returning here, and seeing him again. In my dream I always ran from the gate right to his arms and we shared a kiss. I never imagined that he would pull me here during a storm and he would have a crazy girl wanting him. I have to turn into a spirit Lin." she said suddenly, "I'm not letting her have him."

Lin sighed, "It'll be dangerous, but here's what you have to do."

**(So I lied about the background info. I figured out a way to incorporate it haha, honestly this was my favorite chapter so far)**


	8. You're Warm

"Ok, so I have to go find Shinigami or Inochi and Jinsei?" Chihiro asked, making sure that she got it right.

"Yes, and they will be found in the Valley of Seishi." Zeniba confirmed.

"Ok, Lin told me that, and there would be a test."

"Yes, but we don't know what it is." Haku told her.

Chihiro nodded and processed the information. She had to find Death or the Twins of Life, in the Valley of Death and Life. She could only go so far with Haku, then she had to do it alone. To throw in a twist, The Valley of Seishi was impossible to find, since technically it didn't exist.

"Like Mount Olympus" Chihiro said stifling a groan.

It was true. The Valley of Seishi was a myth. Death and the Twins of Life were real, but no one ever saw them unless they wanted to be seen. To find this place that they were said to live...Chihiro wanted to cry thinking about it. These beings, they could give her Eternal Life. The one thing she had wanted since reality set in about her never seeing Haku or Lin, or the Spirit World ever again.

"_Chihiro, it's such a pretty day, why don't you go outside?" Ten year old Chihiro looked out the window. The sun was shinning, the grass looked greener, and the sky was almost hard to look at, it was so blue. To Chihiro, it looked like another dull gray day. She hadn't wanted to do anything since coming back from her adventure. Her parents thought it was because she was still upset about having to change schools, but in reality Chihiro just thought that the human world was boring. No witches shouting orders, no baths to clean, no six armed men to talk to. No soot things to be entertained by, no giant babies to play with. Most of all, no dragons. _

_She missed it all. The sights, the smells, the spirits. Even the things to fear. She missed talking to Lin, and she missed Kamajii and the soot balls. She even missed Yubaba, who scared her to death. She missed Zeniba, Yubaba's twin sister. She especially missed Haku. __**I wonder what he's doing now that he has his name back?**__ Chihiro had thought about it constantly. She had given him his name back, after Yubaba stole it. _

"_Chihiro did you hear me? Go outside for a while."_

"_Who am I going to play with?" She asked her mom, "I don't have friends." __**On this side of the Spirit Gate anyways. **_

_Her mom made an impatient sound and Chihiro sighed and gave in. She went to her room to get the diary that she was writing furiously in for months now. Each day was labeled with a different name, depending on who she felt she needed to talk to that day. _

_October 23,_

_Dear Lin,_

_My mom is making me go outside, she says I need some fresh air, I think I got enough fresh air flying on Haku's back. It's still hard being here. I miss you guys so much. I hope Yubaba is going easy on you __all. I know she had to be mad that I escaped and gave Haku back his name. I can't think of anything else to write anymore. Except that I miss you. School is boring. Today I got asked what I did over the summer. I said that I moved to this town and passed through the gate in the abandoned building at the bottom of the cliff and ended up in the Spirit World. They told me that I should be a writer since I have a good imagination. No one believes me. It's so hard being here Lin, I don't know why I was so excited to come back. I should have looked back before getting through the tunnel. Anyways, I better stop writing and run around for a little bit so my mom doesn't yell at me. Don't forget me 'kay?_

_Chihiro._

_The weeks turned to months, which eventually turned to years and Chihiro was taking her tests to go to High School. She got into a really great school and was getting ready to start, she still thought about Spirit World a lot, and was happy when she found her old diary. She read back through the entries and all the emotions came flooding back to her. She thought back to those days and got out a pen._

_July 1, 2005_

_Haku,_

_It's been a while since I wrote down my thoughts on paper. I probably should, since I think about you guys every day. It's been a long time since I've seen you all. I can't believe I'm entering High School now. Sometimes I think it's all a dream. I used to talk about my adventure a lot, but then people started looking at me like I was crazy, so I just stopped. It's hard being here, Haku. There's this guy. He likes me, even though I'm weird. His name is Nagiori. I want to date him, but I can't stop thinking about you. I still dream about going back, and you kissing me. I dream about being with you forever. It's silly though, I'm a human, and you're a spirit. I don't even feel that way about you. You're a good friend, but...well anyways, it's time for me to move on. I can't keep thinking about you. _

_Chihiro._

_In truth, she never stopped thinking about him. All through her relationship, she never let Nagiori in. He knew her parents, he knew the type of candy she liked, he knew how she hated when he tried to take her purple hair tie away from her. He knew how she cried when it broke, and how she tied it so it was only good if she wore her hear half way up. He knew everything he could see about Chihiro, but he didn't know why she was so quiet all the time. He didn't know that the reason she never said, "I love you" back to him was not because she was just shy, as he thought, but because she loved someone else. Even if she didn't know that she loved someone else. _

Chihiro frowned. Just thinking about that day she let Haku go made her heart hurt. She was with him now, and that was what mattered, but, what if he didn't want her with him forever. The thought crashed onto her. If she became a spirit and he didn't want to be with her, she would be crushed. She just couldn't bring herself to ask him.

"So Haku, how do you feel about having Chihiro here become a spirit?" Zeniba asked suddenly, as if she knew what Chihiro was thinking about.

"Huh? Uh..." Haku was too busy watching Chihiro to pay attention, he cleared his throat, "Um, it's what she wants, and it's her decision."

Zeniba made a face at him, "Well she's obviously doing it for you! If you don't want her here then she has no point to do it!"

Chihiro gasped, "GRANNY!"

Zeniba gave Chihiro a pointed look, "Well what other reason do you have? Not to be with Lin or the rest of us. I'm flattered that we're part of the reason, but everyone knows that the only reason for a human to be a Spirit is because they are in love with a spirit. Likewise, the only reason for a spirit to aid a human in this dangerous task is because the spirit is in love with the human."

Chihiro and Haku's eyes both grew wide and they blushed and looked away from each other.

"It's not like that Granny, Haku is my best friend. I just don't feel at home in the human world, I haven't in years. Actually just when things started feeling normal for me, I got pulled back here. So I see that s fate telling me that I'm meant to be here." Chihiro said with determination.

Zeniba just nodded, "Haku can I speak to Chihiro alone?"

Haku nodded and walked outside. Once he was out of earshot Zeniba turned to Chihiro.

"I know I'm right, so when are you going to tell him?"

"Yah, you're right about me. I do love him, but he doesn't feel the same. How could he? He's a powerful spirit and I'm just a human." Chihiro sighed.

"Maybe you're not giving him enough credit."

Chihiro just shook her head, "He can have anyone he wants."

Zeniba sighed and sent No-Face to get Haku so they could plan some more.

"Besides, he could have Soren, or someone as beautiful as her. I've seen a lot of these spirits Granny. I'm not very pretty." Chihiro said in a sad voice.

Haku was walking in when he heard her say she wasn't pretty. Anger clouded his face, "Never say that again." he told her and moved swiftly to stand in front of her and put his hands on her shoulders, "Never say you aren't pretty Chihiro, you're the most beautiful girl...woman in the Spirit World, or any world for that matter."

"You're just saying that to make me feel better." She told him in a small voice.

Haku felt that urge again, to lower his lips to hers, and tell her how he felt about her. He fought the urge, this place wasn't special enough. He didn't care if she may not feel the same about him. He was going to kiss her. Just not here. He wanted it to be after she became a Spirit. So he could tell her how he felt, and hopefully she'll say the same to him, then he'll ask her to be with him forever.

"You're warm again." Chihiro's voice broke through his thoughts, he didn't realize that he hand pulled her close to him and was holding her tightly

"Aren't I always warm?" he asked her.

"Not to me. You usually feel cool. Like a river in the middle of the summer. Not freezing, but refreshing." She told him.

Haku blinked, so now his temperature was giving away his emotions. Great. He cleared his throat and released her. He noticed a look pass between Zeniba and Chihiro, but ignored it. "Tell me what we have to do."

An hour later they were flying off equipped with food and fresh water, they had No-Face with them, he had swallowed a bird so he could fly.

"No-Face, I hope you're going to spit that bird out when we're done." Chihiro told her friend.

"Ah, Ah." No-Face nodded.

"Good."

Haku kept thinking back to what Zeniba told them.

"_There will be a series of tests that you all must pass, to prove that you are worthy of entering. The first set will test will tempt you to do something that will deem you impure to enter the sacred Valley. I don't know what each test will be, but that's something that is between you individually. The second set will test you to see if you are determined enough to find the Valley. These will play on your fears, you must overcome these fears, only then will you pass. The third set will be to see if you're bonds of friendship are strong. You will become separated from each other and replacements will be put in. You won't know when. Each of you must be distinguish the imposters. If you can't make it, you will be sent back here, or to the bathhouse and those who do make it will continue. The final test is for you alone Chihiro. Once you are granted the knowledge of the entrance The Valley of Life and Death, you will have to do Shinigami, or Inochi and Jinsei's test to become a Spirit. Just know, no one has ever passed all the tests."_


	9. The First Test

After almost a whole day of flying, Haku landed so that Chihiro could eat. Haku and No-Face barely took a little food, Chihiro would need it more. They flew all night and into the next morning when they met up with three Spirits.

Mangetsu, Miyaki, and Soren were looking for Haku and Chihiro. They had stopped at the bathhouse and found nothing, Soren was drilling them to look for the two, until they were visited by a strange sprite. The Sprite informed them that they were to aid Life and Death to test three travelers. The Sprite gave them the direction of where to meet them and left it at that. Knowing that they couldn't refuse, they put their plans on hold to do this mission. They were pleasantly surprised when it was Chihiro and Haku, and someone else.

Mangetsu flew to attack No-Face. Soren distracted Haku, and Miyaki went for Chihiro.

Mangetsu couldn't explain how he knew how to handle No-Face. He kept taunting the demon and pushed his buttons. Telling him how no one could ever be his true friend, and how the girl only wanted him around so she could be with her dragon. No-Face was getting angry and just wanted to swallow him to shut him up. He fought the urge and retreated, something that was hard for him to do. He kept making his "Ah" noises to drown out the Ocean Spirit's voice. Finally after what seemed an eternity. Mangetsu backed off, "You have passed the test."

Miyaki was actually to tempt Haku. She was in her human form and was floating around dangling a screaming Chihiro a mile from the ground. She laughed at Haku's anger as Soren kept him back.

"Come save you're little human. What would you do if I...let go"

She let go of Chihiro's hand and the human plummeted to the ground, Haku winced when he saw her hot the floor and couldn't take seeing her lying broken. In reality it was all an illusion, and Chihiro was safe with No-Face on the floor. Haku felt his anger get to a point where he could no longer control it. He shoved Soren aside and shot at Miyaki.

Miyaki, realizing that he was about to try to kill her, dodged him cleanly. Haku kept flying at her trying to get a grip on her. His anger was out of control, although somewhere deep inside him, he just felt sadness.

_Haku stop she wouldn't want you to do this. _The thought entered his head. Chihiro wouldn't want him to be a killer. He stopped and the illusion was shattered. Chihiro was looking up at him, her body wasn't broken on the ground! She was fine!

"You passed the test" Miyaki told him and flew off.

Soren floated over to Haku, she touched his dragon form and he changed back to human form. His eyes were full of lust and he seemed to gladly accept the kiss that was given to him by the Ocean Spirit. Chihiro's own anger spiked and she glared at Haku when the two landed. She didn't know that it was another illusion, and that Haku was still in the air.

"How could you!" She shouted at the fake Haku, who was still locked in a passionate kiss with Soren.

Chihiro wrenched him away and turned him to face her, "You lied to me! You told me that you were never kissed. You sure have enough practice!" she yelled at him.

'Haku' gave her a smug look, "What can I say, I know what to say to get what I want." he said and turned back to Soren.

Hurt and confused she shook her head, "I...I hate you" she spit the words out.

Up in the air Haku heard the words and he felt himself break. Even though she wasn't talking to him, she was still talking about him. He fell out of the sky, slowly, and landed on the grass, the illusion still held.

Chihiro, who was crying now and walking away from 'Haku' ran into Mangetsu.

"Get him back." He was telling her, "Kiss someone else, get him back."

Chihiro looked at the Spirit and was about to lean up to touch her lips to his when a memory entered her mind.

_Chihiro looked out at the horizon, "I've never been kissed" she admitted._

"_What? But you have a fiance!" Lin's eyes got huge. _

"_I lied about that. I don't know why, but I never let Nagiori kiss me. I never let anyone kiss me. Even though we were dating, I told him I wanted to wait until our wedding day. In reality I just hoped that one day Haku would come back for me." _

_Chihiro had a far away look in her eye, "I would dream about returning here, and seeing him again. In my dream I always ran from the gate right to his arms and we shared a kiss. I never imagined that he would pull me here during a storm and he would have a crazy girl wanting him. I have to turn into a spirit Lin." she said suddenly, "I'm not letting her have him."_

"I'm not letting her have him." she whispered.

"Huh?" Mangetsu looked at the human.

"I can't kiss anyone. My first kiss belongs to someone else." she turned away from the Spirit.

"You passed the test" Came Soren's voice as the illusion disappeared, "Unfortunately, you can move on, but get this straight Human, I already have him."

Soren and her minions flew off. Chihiro looked for Haku and found him on the ground.

"Haku are you ok?" she asked, running towards him.

The dragon's chest was hurting. He felt like it was being split in two, "Don't hate me" he whispered when he felt Chihiro near him.

The human knelt down and put his head in her lap, "I can't hate you Haku." she whispered.

"Good." he told her, "Can we camp here for a while, I don't think I can get up."

"That's fine" Chihiro told him, trying to take control of her tears.

The reality of it was setting in. Even though she knew now that it was a test, she couldn't handle what she saw. Her own heart was hurting. Haku had fallen asleep. As Chihiro looked down at his sleeping form she whispered in a voice so soft that she wasn't sure if he could hear her in his sleep, "I love you Haku."

Haku did hear her, he was slipping into unconsciousness and thought he just heard the words in his sleep. His chest stopped hurting and he was able to relax and dream about her as he did every night for eight years.

The next morning, Haku woke up to find that he had pressure on his chest. He moved a bit, to try to get away from it, and heard a sleepy moan coming from the source of the pressure. He reached over with his left hand and felt Chihiro's head, which was pillowed on his chest. He smiled and inhaled deeply. Chihiro made an annoyed noise and sat up to look at him. Haku laughed at her expression and her hair.

"Good morning sleepy head, ready for breakfast then we can take off?" He asked her.

She ran her hand through her tangled hair and yawned, "What's for breakfast?" she asked as she pulled her hair back into a half ponytail and secured it with her hair tie that had been made by her friends.

"Whatever you want. I'll make it" he told her.

"No you rest, just tell me what you want so I can make it." she insisted and started to stand.

Haku took her hand to stop her, "Let me cook for you Chihiro" he said and smiled at her.

Chihiro blushed and sat back down. "Um...alright...I want bacon, eggs, bread, and tea" she told him.

Haku stood up and started a fire. When it was hot enough he pulled out the food from the bag Zeniba gave him. Chihiro was shocked the first time she looked in there to find that there was nothing in the bag, until Zeniba told her to imagine what she wanted and reach in.

"Mmm that was good." Chihiro said and smiled at Haku, "Who knew you could cook."

Haku was already cleaning up and putting stuff away. He was getting worried. The first test was easy to No-Face, but for himself and Chihiro, they almost did something that they would have regretted. Pushing the thought from his mind, he turned into a dragon and waited until Chihiro was secure on his back. Nodding at No-Face the two took to the skies and the Trio pressed on.


	10. The Second Test

It was four days since they encountered Soren, Mangetsu, and Miyaki, and the trio didn't find themselves being tested in any way. They flew over mountains and forests. Lakes, and Plains. They had seem many spirits who supplied them with food, or things they would need for Chihiro's survival. Chihiro was shocked to encounter another human in the spirit world, although she wasn't there permanently like Chihiro wanted to be. Sophie Hatter and Wizard Howl were just traveling through with their flying Castle. Howl wanted to show Sophie the beautiful world, so the fire demon Calicifer used his magic. Sophie had supplied Chihiro with some words of wisdom after spending time with Haku and Chihiro.

"Take care of his heart."

Chihiro frowned, "What do you mean?"

Sophie smiled, "I don't have to know you to know that he loves you."

Chihiro's eyes widened, "What? No, he doesn't feel that way about me."

Sophie just laughed, "I can see the way he looks at you. The way he subconsciously follows you around when you move. If you shift your weight, he moves the at the same time. Like there is a magnetic pull."

Chihiro blushed and shook her head. When they departed, with a new dress for Chihiro that Howl and Sophie gave her, Chihiro couldn't help thinking of Sophie's words.

A few more days into their journey, the next set of tests started, for Chihiro and Haku at least. They were flying over a volcano and Chihiro had actually fallen asleep on Haku's back. She felt him stiffen up and she jolted awake to find themselves loosing altitude fast.

"Haku! We're falling!" She said in a panicked voice.

Haku didn't seem to be able to lift himself and they crashed onto the ground near the volcano. Black plumes of smoke were rising and rocks were exploding into the air. Chihiro screamed as one almost hit Haku. She looked to see if he was OK, and found herself alone! She was lost and alone in the Spirit World and her life was in danger. She stood up and ran, trying to dodge the falling rocks. She yelled in terror as lava started flowing from the volcano. She ran for it and somehow found herself miles away from it. Haku was laying on the floor, his clothes were burned away and his chest was burned. The smell of burning flesh hit her nose and she gagged. She made her way to him, "Haku."

He opened his eyes and looked at her, "Keep going."

"No Haku, I'm scared. I can't do this without you!" she said and started crying. With a jolt she realized that she was ten again.

"I can't do this, get up Haku, wake up!"

As she pleaded with him he seemed to move away from her. It went dark, then she was back in school.

"You're so weird Chihiro."

"Yah, no one likes you anyways"

"Go back to where you came from"

"Yah go back to your 'Spirit World'"

She saw her childhood playmates sneering at her and she cried harder, "No don't say that to me. Please. I do belong here."

They moved away from her again and she was back in the bathhouse. Her friends were around her.

"What am I doing here? I need to get back to the Valley of Life and Death if I'm going to be a spirit." she said frantically.

"Why, we don't want you here."

"You don't belong here."

"You're just a human."

"A stupid human too, if you thought that you belonged here."

"She's even stupider because she thinks Haku loves her."

"Ha! Haku was glad she left. He hated that he accidentally brought her back here. He's happy with Soren."

Chihiro looked around at the sneers of her friends. Realization hit and she felt like she was in a whirlwind. She wasn't wanted here. She didn't belong here or anywhere. This was a nightmare.

"Wait...nightmare! I'm Dreaming! This is the second test!"

The illusion broke and Chihiro sat up. A figure was in front of her, "Well done." The figure disappeared and Chihiro looked to see another one around Haku and No-Face.

Haku stood in an empty field. Chihiro was in front of him, his Chihiro. She was smiling at him and mouthing something, and beckoning her closer. He walked to her and suddenly she collapsed. Blood poured from her mouth, nose, and ears. He held her close and allowed his own life essence to fill her. The blood stopped and she started breathing again. She smiled at him and wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him closer to her. He thought she was going to kiss him but she whispered something in his ear.

"I'm going to marry Nagiori."

He pulled back and looked at her. She smiled at him sweetly.

"I'll forget about you and live happily ever after. I'll be with him in every way possible and you'll never see me again. I don't love you and I don't want to stay with you. I just wanted to be a Spirit so I can open the spirit gate and bring him in so he can be made a spirit and we can live together for eternity. I don't care what you do, you're just a puppet."

She laughed cruelly and pushed him away. Haku caught her hand and kissed it softly. He looked into her eyes and she flinched away from him.

"No look me in the eyes and tell me you don't love me."

Chihiro looked at him, "I don't love you."

He nodded and turned away. "Then I don't see why you can't finish this on your own." he turned into a dragon and flew off.

The scene faded and Haku was now watching her wedding day. She was beautiful in her white satin dress. She kissed the other man. Time seemed to move forward and she was giving birth. As soon as her son was born she whispered one name, "Haku." Then she died.

Haku watched with a stony face.

"This is just a dream. My fear is Chihiro leaving and telling me she never wanted to be here. Now that I see it, I realize how stupid that fear was." The illusion shattered and he heard a voice, "Well done."

Haku still hadn't woken up, but the figure was gone. Chihiro knelt next to him and waited. She saw tears fall down his face.

"Don't leave me" Haku whispered in his sleep.

"I'm not going anywhere." Chihiro said, "I'm right here"

She was looking at him anxiously when he opened his eyes, "What's wrong?"

"No-Face hasn't woken up yet." Chihiro said in a scared voice.

No-Face was back in the bathhouse confused he looked around for Chihiro. He spotted her and walked over to her. She looked at him scornfully.

"You, finally, clean up the mess you made and get out of here."

No-Face looked around and saw that there was indeed a mess. His vomit was everywhere and everyone was giving him angry and hateful looks.

"Ah, Ah?" he asked.

"Yes, you made this mess. Now clean it up." Chihiro told him.

She walked away from him, "Ah, Ah Ah!" No-Face tried to follow her.

"Get away from me you monster. I don't want anything to do with you. I fixed you, now go away. I need to get to Zeniba's for Haku." she told him and ran off.

"Ah, Ah Ah!" No-Face looked sadly around.

Suddenly everything shifted. The people of the bathhouse was glaring at him and throwing stuff at him. Even Zeniba, Boh, Chihiro, Lin, Haku, and the bird. No-Face turned away and covered his mask trying to get away from the projectiles. He ran away from them and went outside. Wait...Chihiro wasn't like that. The others maybe, but Chihiro, she was his friend. With that thought he looked around angrily. This was just a test!

"Well done" said a voice and No-Face woke up and looked at his friend's anxious faces.

"Ah ah?" He said in a questioning voice.

"No-Face! You're alright!" Chihiro said and hugged him.


	11. The Third Test

"Haku what was you're worst fear?" Chihiro asked the dragon, they were flying leisurely even though Chihiro was in a hurry to be a Spirit, she wanted this time with her friends to last. When Haku didn't answer her, she frowned, "Haku?"

"_I heard you, I'm just thinking if I should tell you. It's a stupid fear." _

"I don't think it's stupid." She told him. "I'll tell you mine."

"_You leaving." _Haku told her.

"You don't have to worry about that." she told him, "I don't plan on leaving."

"_Good, now tell me yours." _

"Not belonging anywhere." she told him, "And you dying."

"_You belong here, even if you are a human. It's hard to kill Spirits. I won't die easily." _Haku assured her.

"No-Face what's yours?" Chihiro asked her friend.

"Ah, ah." he mimed her and Haku throwing things at him.

"We would never do that No-Face, you're my friend" she assured him and smiled.

Haku landed so they could all eat. Chihiro was making dinner when they all fell into a deep sleep. While they were sleeping, the third test was starting. Each of the trio was put in an illusion. Their friends were replaced by imposters. After it was done, Chihiro woke up and found her hair being singed.

"AH! What happened?" she looked around. "Why was I sleeping?" she finished making food and served it to everyone.

No-Face scarfed down the food as Chihiro watched him with wide eyes. 

"You're hungry." No-Face said in shock.

Haku also ate as if it was his last meal.

"Ah! Slow down, you're not leaving any food for me!" she told them and grabbed some food.

"It's ok, we can make more." Haku told her.

"Well fine," Chihiro said and handed him the bag, "Get something out."

Haku reached for the bag and tried to get something out. He frowned and pulled nothing. He kept trying and finally gave up and handed it to No-Face, only for the monster to have to same results. Chihiro shook her head and took the bag and pulled out enough food for a small feast.

"You guys are being weird." she said and prepared the meal.

After their meal, No-Face moved away from the group.

"Come closer" Chihiro told him.

"Nah, let him stay there." Haku told her.

Chihiro frowned, "Why are you being so mean?" she asked him.

"Never mind, let's go."

He turned into his dragon form and Chihiro paused, "you look different. I can't put my finger on it." she told him, but dismissed it and climbed on him. "Wait, you're warm. You're not Haku." she said.

The illusion shattered and the figures nodded, "Well done human." said the smaller of the two then they disappeared.

No-Face was flying along with next to Haku, he kept trying to get closer to tell Haku something, but Haku would fly farther away. Chihiro said something to Haku and burst out laughing.

"See we should just leave him here, he is useless to us." She was saying.

No-Face didn't understand what she meant. Why would she be so mean to him. He tried talking to Haku and ask him what's going on.

"What? I can't figure out what you are saying." Haku was telling No-Face.

No-Face thought that he was kidding. He tried again only for Haku to shake his head. "Go away, you're freaking me out." Haku told him. No-Face just landed. This wasn't the Haku he knew, this wasn't Haku.

"Jeesh can't we stump this one?" Came a voice as Chihiro and Haku turned tho their actual forms. "You passed."

Haku was flying with Chihiro on his back. He was getting tired and decided to land. No-Face, on the other hand kept in the air.

"No-Face, aren't you coming down?" Chihiro asked him. The monster shook his head and kept circling. "That poor bird" Chihiro mumbled.

Haku nodded and made Chihiro some food and kept watch, "We haven't heard from Soren and her group in a while." he said.

"Who? Oh! Yah. That's odd." Chihiro told him. She was watching him carefully, "Did I ever tell you how handsome you are?"

Haku blinked, "Thank you?" he sad with a laugh, "Are you ok?" He had to ask

Chihiro nodded, "Of course, you're here aren't you." she said and leaned in to kiss him.

Haku caught her and held her back, "Chihiro, what's wrong with you? I told you I wanted to wait until a special moment before I kissed someone. Are you under a spell?" he asked.

He pushed away from her and put his index finger and thumb together, his hair seemed to float up around him, as did his clothes. He blew on his hand and his power was unleashed. Chihiro fell to the floor and looked at him, her features were melting and the smell of burning filled the air. In the sky, No-Face was melting also.

"Damn you Dragon, how did you know?" said the Wood Sprite that was sitting in front of him.

"I know Chihiro." he told her and helped her up, "Thank you though, for making it so easy."

"I was instructed to make it easy for you. They want you to make it." she told him and nodded at the Spirit in the air, "We can go now!" they both disappeared.

Later that night the trio were sitting around a fire. The sky was clear and there were two moons out that night.

"It's pretty." Chihiro said looking up.

"It's alright." Haku half agreed.

"You just say that because you see it all the time." Chihiro countered.

"No, it's cause there are prettier things around." Haku said looking at Chihiro.

Chihiro frowned a bit, "Like what?"

"Like the flowers, and the grass, and the trees." Haku said, his eyes shone mischievously.

"Oh." she mumbled looking embarrassed.

For some reason she thought Haku was talking about her. She looked at the flame and inhaled the smoky scent.

"Chihiro." Haku reached over to cup her face in his hand but Chihiro didn't look at him, "Look at me."

After almost a moment she snuck a look a him. His eyes were kind, and he looked at her in an odd way, as if she was the only person there. She was caught in his gaze and she felt herself blush. She wanted to kiss him, she felt herself lean towards him and he leaned towards her. They were inches away from each other when, like the last time, Haku pulled back. Chihiro sighed and lowered her head. Did he even want to kiss her?

"I'm sorry." she whispered.

"Don't be. It's my fault." he put his hand down, a movement that made Chihiro's heart constrict. "Oh, and you aren't merely pretty." he said leaned forward quickly to kiss her cheek.

Chihiro felt her eyes go wide and she blushed and smiled, "Thanks." she whispered.

"For what? It's true. You are beautiful Chihiro."

"Do you want to kiss me?" Chihiro asked suddenly. _What is wrong with me! Oh drown me now someone please! _

It was Haku's turn to blush, "Uh, um...do you want to kiss me?" he countered

Chihiro frowned and tried to ignore the hurt, "Maybe." she admitted.

Haku chuckled, "Well maybe I want to kiss you too."

The wind picked up and Chihiro shivered.

"We didn't pack extra blankets" She mumbled.

"I think we can get them out of the bag." Haku told her and reached for it. He pulled out a large comforter.

No-Face, who was observing the two silently looked around. He sighed and signed something to Haku.

"Are you sure No-Face? You are welcome to join us. No you aren't intruding. Well if you're sure."

"What's going on?" Chihiro asked.

"No-Face wants to return to Zeniba." he told her.

"No, No-Face we want you here." Chihiro told her friend.

"Ah ah." No-Face signed something to Chihiro who looked at Haku for a translation.

"He says we'll move faster without him." Haku told her.

Chihiro frowned, "I think we're getting along fine, and we like having you here. But if you want to go back, I can't force you to stay."

No-Face nodded and opened his arms for a hug. Chihiro hugged her friend and kissed his mask, "I'll see you when I get back." she told him.

Haku and Chihiro waved as No-Face flew back in the direction of Swamp Bottom.


	12. Because I love you, you idiot

Chihiro and Haku noticed that they were alone now that No-Face was gone. Chihiro blushed and looked down. She knew that they were alone before, but they were in the bath house, not the wilderness. Haku cleared his throat.

"We should get to sleep."

"Uh, yah."

Chihiro moved her sleeping bag towards the fire a bit and climbed in, she fell asleep almost instantly. Haku, on the other hand, couldn't fall asleep. He kept sensing something and it was disturbing him. Finally he decided to just stay up and keep the fire going.

_Chihiro was floating, she looked down and waved at the children who were running to keep up with her. Suddenly the winds shifted and it got harder to stay on course. She heard laughter, but ignored it, thinking it was just the wind. She ended up being buffeted until she had to fly lower, as she flew over the ocean a massive wave seemed to snatch her out of the air. She couldn't breathe as the water pushed into her lungs. All she could feel is pain in her chest. _

Chihiro was coughing and struggling in her sleep. Haku rushed to her side and tried to wake her up, but she was too far into the dream. He lifted her into a sitting position and shook her to no avail. He called her name but nothing. She was dying, and he was powerless to stop it. He lay her back down and started giving her mouth to mouth. Forcing air into her lungs until finally she threw up the water. She was still asleep though. Haku repeated what he was doing, and again she threw up water. After three of four times she finally made a noise. Her eyes flicked open and she looked up at Haku. She coughed and threw up again. Haku held her close to him. His heart was pounding in his chest, he thought he was going to lose her.

"I'm sorry Chihiro." he kept saying.

He felt guilty, this was his fault that she was being tortured by Soren. She was just an innocent bystander, someone caught in the middle of his issues.

"Maybe we should end this, and you should go home." he told her.

Chihiro's eyes went wide, "What? No!" she winced against the ripping feeling in her throat. "I'm not going to give up Haku. I want this more than anything." she told him.

"But why? You're in danger Chihiro, please, let me deal with her once and for all and I'll return for you. We can try this again."

"What if we can't? What if you never get rid of her? Haku she is going to follow you around until you agree to marry her. That's the only way you're going to get rid of her!"

"If it'll mean your safety...maybe I should."

Chihiro felt as if she had been punched in the gut. No, that wouldn't hurt as much as she was hurting. If he had ripped her heart out and thrown it into a tree then stuck a bayonet in her stomach and twisted it, it wouldn't hurt as much as she was hurting. Just hearing those words made her feel like...like telling him everything. She wanted to confess to him how much she loved him, how long she loved him, and how she would die if he married Soren, or anyone else but her. But she didn't want to scare him. They had a good relationship and if she told him what he meant to her, she would ruin it. Especially if he didn't feel the same about her. She looked at him and didn't fight to keep the tears from flowing.

"Do you want to marry her?" she asked him.

He wasn't looking at her, when he did he was shocked to see the tears. He wanted...he wanted to hurt himself. He couldn't believe that he did it again. He was responsible for the tears in her eyes. How could she not see, how could she look at him and not see how much he loved her. How much he needed her, and how much he wanted to be with her. Just her, no one else but her. But it could never be. Not if she didn't feel the same, and he was sure that she didn't. Of course, Soren was too stupid to see that his feelings for Chihiro were one sided, if she could see that, Soren would leave Chihiro alone.

"You'll be safe if I do." he finally said.

"I didn't ask that." she told him firmly, "Do you want to marry her?"

"It would be good. Her parents want me to...apparently we're a good match." he refused to look at her.

"Haku! Do you want her?" Haku noticed the change in the question.

"She's beautiful, and powerful. What's not to want?"

"Then why am I here? Why did you bring me here? Why didn't you just leave me alone back in the human world. I was getting along fine. I was finally convincing myself that all this was just an elaborate and recurring dream. I was finally on my way to being happy." her voice was strong even though the tears were flowing down her face.

"Do you want that human?" Haku turned it back on her.

"He's handsome and rich. What's not to want?" she threw his answer back at him.

"Then why are you here? You didn't have to come through you know. You didn't have to grab hold of me." he started pacing, "I was focused on you, because you were the only thing I recognized in my river. What were you doing there anyway? Isn't it miles away from your home? I was starting to finally get back to normal, then Lin had to come in and tell me about the storm. All I wanted was to feel my river again, then I felt you in there. You didn't have to grab on! You could have...you were crying. Why were you crying?"

"Because your river looked awful." Chihiro's voice shook.

"Why were you THERE?" Haku kept pacing.

"Because I heard that the river had broken free and I wanted to see if..."

"If what? You wanted to see if it was true? But WHY Chihiro WHY?" he stopped pacing and turned to look at her, "Why would you care if the river that almost drowned you was free again?"

"Because it was also the river that saved my life." she told him.

"Why did you grab on?"

"Because I wanted to come back." she said simply.

"Why were you crying?" he started pacing again.

"Because, I told you, because trees and buildings were falling into it."

"Why did you care?"

"Because I knew it would hurt you!"

"But why do you care what hurts me?"

"Because I just care!" The tears stopped coming down Chihiro's face.

"Why does it matter if I want Soren?"

"So that I know if I have a reason to be doing this!"

"Why does my decision have to do with you being a spirit?"

"Because I'm doing this for you!"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm doing this so I can be with you! All this is for YOU Haku. I came back for you, I want to be a spirit for you, so I can be with YOU," Now it was her turn to start pacing.

"Why though? You aren't telling me why you want to be with me!"

"BECAUSE I LOVE YOU, YOU IDIOT!"

Haku stopped abruptly and Chihiro smacked into him. He turned and his arms automatically went around her to steady her so she wouldn't fall. He looked down at her. Her face showed that she didn't mean to give that away.

"What did you say?" he asked her in a small voice.

"Nothing." she tried to get away from him.

"No Chihiro. What. Did. You. Say?" he held her firm.

Chihiro couldn't believe it. She knew struggling was useless so she didn't move. She hung her head and let herself cry. How could she have said it? Especially like that. So abrupt and in the middle of an argument. She felt Haku take her chin, he lifted her face so she had to look at him. Her eyes overflowed with tears and truthfully she wished that Soren had drowned her. She still didn't say anything.

"Chihiro." His voice was kind.

She closed her eyes so she wouldn't have to see his. She could hear it now. He just thought of her as a friend. They were too good friends to mess it up with a relationship. Or worse, she was like his sister. Her heart hurt just thinking about the last one.

"Chihiro look at me." He didn't release her.

Still she didn't look at him. She knew what she would see, pity. She couldn't take it. Just thinking about it hurt enough, but to see the look in his face and hear the rejection...she knew she couldn't take it.

"Just forget it." she finally spoke. "Just forget I said anything."

"Is that what you want?"

_No. _"Yes." she felt her heart split in two...no, that wasn't the right analogy. She felt her heart fall on the floor and shatter into a million pieces.

"Are you sure?"

_No. _"Yes, Haku!"

Had she opened her eyes she would have seen Haku's face just inches from hers. He wanted to kiss her. Every cell in his body was screaming at him to do it. All he had to do was lower his lips to hers.

"Chihiro. Please look at me." he whispered.

She was shocked to feel his breath on his face. He smelled like the peppermint gum he had taken from her. Her eyes fluttered opened and her breath caught. He was inches from her. All she had to do was lift her chin, just an inch more and their lips would touch. She considered doing it. She knew Haku was waiting for the right moment, and probably the right girl, to give his first kiss to. She was hurt, she could hurt him by stealing it right now, at this moment. She didn't know that it belonged to her already, just as her first kiss belonged to him. She looked at his eyes, they were filled with understanding, compassion, and...something else, it was the way he was looking at her. It made her melt inside and made her heart constrict. She wondered what that look was. Fresh tears came to her eyes as she looked at him.

"Please, do you really want me to forget what you said?" he asked her once again.

She felt his lips brush hers slightly. Her heart was jack hammering in her chest. She didn't want him to forget it. She wanted to say it again, and to hear him say it back. His own heart was pounding. He heard her, but she was angry. Was it really love of some other passionate emotion that she confused with love?

She nodded ever so slightly, "Yes." she whispered.

"That's..." his voice trailed off.

He couldn't take it anymore. He had to taste her lips. He leaned in another centimeter. He waited for her to pull back. He wished she would because he would never be able to do it, not now. But she didn't pull back. She didn't push him away. She just stood there waiting. She had stopped breathing. Her emotions were clear on her face. She wanted this kiss. She wanted it more than anything. That knowledge allowed Haku to let his lips to meet hers. Chihiro's reaction was involuntary, just as his lips were going to touch hers she turned her head away from him. She heard Haku sigh and felt him pull back away from her. He kept his head down so she couldn't read his expression.

"Haku..."

"I'm sorry." he said quickly cutting of anything she was going to say, "I forgot myself and got lost in the moment. Forgive me." he told her and turned away.

He mumbled something and Chihiro felt herself grow warm then the feeling left. Meanwhile Haku was dragging his sleeping bag to past the warmth of the fire.

"I put a spell on you so Soren won't be able to hurt you. You'll be safe." he said then crawled into his bag.

Chihiro felt as if her heart was breaking. She couldn't believe she just did that. She wanted to hit herself. All this, all this time waiting and she rejected his kiss. She knew he wanted it to be special and with a special girl. He wanted to kiss _her_ and she refused him.

"Haku, please I-"

"Forget what happened Chihiro and I'll forget what you told me. We can pretend these last few minutes never happened." he said.

She felt the tears sliding down her cheeks and she didn't bother trying to contain the sobs. Haku closed his eyes and clenched his fists in his sleeping bag trying unsuccessful to ignore her. He hadn't meant to do this to her again. He hated himself at this moment. Not only had he practically forced her to say how she felt about him, he almost kissed her knowing that she was waiting for her wedding day, and now he made her cry.

"It's automatic for me Haku. Nagiori has been trying to kiss me for three years now, so I turn my head every time he tries."

"It's fine Chihiro. Just go to sleep" he fought to keep his voice steady.

"Haku please. Come over here"

"It's late. And I'm tired."

"Please." her voice was little more than a whisper.

Haku tried and failed to ignore the plea in her voice. He unzipped his bag and walked over to her. He forced his face to remain expressionless. Chihiro's eyes were overflowing with tears and she was shaking from repressed sobs. Even though her eyes were red, her face was blotchy, and her nose was running, Haku thought she was the most beautiful person or spirit in the Universe.

"Kiss me." she whispered.

Her request shocked Haku and his eyes widened before he could control his expression.

"Chihiro you are letting your emotions control you." he said in an almost cold voice.

"Do you want to?"

"Of course I want to Chihiro." there was no point in hiding it, "Part of my reasoning for wanting to kiss you at this moment comes from you telling me what you told me, but since I am forgetting that you said anything, I am also forgetting that I want to kiss you, or at least I am trying to. You are making it real difficult."

"Why?"

"Because you are standing so close."

It was true, Chihiro had closed the gap between them and was standing only a foot away from him.

"Why don't you just do it?"

"Because you obviously don't want to. Or you wouldn't have turned away."

"I told you, it was an automatic thing."

"Do you want me to kiss you?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"You know why."

"I forgot remember."

"You going to make me say it again?"

"Yes."

"I love you."

Haku felt the warmth return but didn't show any emotion on his face.

"Ok."

"Ok? A minute ago those words got a reaction out of you and now it's ok?"

"I'm waiting."

"For what?"

"For you to take it back."

"I won't."

"Because you want me to kiss you?"

"Because I mean it!"

"You're angry."

"Of course I am! I'm confused and hurt too. I say that I love you twice and I don't hear it back. Why shouldn't I be angry and hurt if you don't feel the same."

"I do."

"Do what?"

"Feel the same."

Chihiro felt the world stand still. Was he saying what she thought he was saying?

"Wha?"

"Marry me."


	13. He's Mine!

Chihiro's eyes went wide and her heart literally skipped a beat.

"Haku...what?"

"Not right away. After you become a spirit." he said quickly.

Chihiro let out her breath. She was starting to sway and her head was spinning. Darkness tinted the edges of her vision and for a second she thought that it was Soren attacking her again. Haku caught her just before she hit the floor. Chuckling a bit he tucked her into her sleeping bag. He dragged his back towards hers and climbed in. He reached out and took the unconscious girl in his arms, sleeping bag and all. Stroking her hair gently he slowly drifted off to sleep.

Chihiro woke up the following morning with a killer headache. She tried to move only to find that someone had her in their arms. Panicking she thought the worse, until she opened her eyes and saw Haku sleeping next to her. She saw his arm around her and smiled a bit to herself. Did last night really happen? Did she tell Haku that she loved him? Did he ask her to marry him? Her head started spinning again and she let out a groan. Haku's eyes snapped open and he became instantly alert. As soon as he released her, Chihiro inched further down into the bag, she wasn't ready to face him yet. Luckily Haku was a gentleman so he just gathered more wood and made a fire and got breakfast ready. Smelling bacon and eggs, Chihiro emerged from the dark confines of her makeshift bed. She sniffed the air and smiled, her hair was all over the place and her clothes were crumpled. She looked around and didn't see Haku. She meant to snatch some bacon and go back into hiding when his voice drifted from behind her.

"Morning sleepy head." he said with a smile.

Chihiro suppressed a groan and plastered on a fake smile, "Morning."

Haku knew she wanted to forget the night before, so he didn't mention it...yet. After they both finished their breakfast and Haku went to the river to wash up and give Chihiro time to change, he helped her put everything away. She was waiting for him to lift the pack onto her shoulders, but instead she felt arms around her waist.

"You never answered me." he whispered into her ear.

"You weren't serious."

"Of course I was. After this is behind us, I want to marry you."

"But...why?"

"So no one can take you from me." his voice went even lower and Chihiro felt herself shiver, but not from the cold.

"Do you love me?" she had to ask.

"There are three words to express love. I believe Humans call the language Hebrew. Raya, Ahava, and Dod. Raya is like, being someone's best friend, you can tell them anything. Ahava means, 'I give', like husband and wife." he paused.

"What's the other one?" Chihiro was curious now.

"Dod is the physical stuff."

Chihiro nodded. Haku released her and stood in front of her.

"You are my best friend. I don't have to give you my heart, you already have it."

"Raya and Ahava." Chihiro mumbled.

"As for Dod..." he cleared his throat, "Since you've been here it's taken everything in me to stop from kissing you."

Chihiro felt her cheeks turn red. Was he telling her that just to get her to fall for him. It seemed like a line a guy would feed a girl. _But Haku isn't just any guy...does he really have a physical attraction to me? _

"So your feelings for me are physical."

"You're twisting my words up. Chihiro, love is...such an overused word. One can love a person, a dog, and someone's pair of shoes at the same time, I don't just love you. I..." he put his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes, "I...I want to kiss you." he admitted.

"I won't stop you." she whispered.

Taking her face into his hands Haku leaned down slowly, to give her time to change her mind. Just as their lips were going to touch, a wall of water shot up between them. Chihiro was pushed back by an invisible force and a familiar voice was drifting in the air.

"He's MINE!"

Soren's attack was painful. Chihiro saw stars and her jaw hurt. Then pain in her stomach. She felt herself get lifted up and carried off, the last thing she heard was Haku calling for her. The last thing she saw was him being mauled by Soren's older brother.


	14. I don't want you here

For as long as she lived, the day that Haku told her how he felt about her was the best and worse day of her existence. On one hand, Haku told her that he loved for her, that he wanted to give her himself, and that he wanted her. On the other hand, it was the last time she saw Haku for six years.

When Soren carried her off, Chihiro passed out. She was unaware of anything until she landed hard in a cage. Soren closed up the door and sneered at the human.

"Haku..." Chihiro said weakly.

"Haku is dealing with my brother now. I gave you a chance Chihiro. I gave you many warnings. You should have just gone back where you came from and left us alone! But no. You wanted to be a spirit and COMPLETELY RUIN MY PLAN!" Soren's beautiful face became contorted in anger and hatred.

Her features turned almost slimy and the illusion made Chihiro feel sick to her stomach. Soren realized that she let herself get out of control and regained composure.

"You should have left when you had the time. But now that Haku knows you love him, and he loves you...well now he gets another option. An option that he cannot take." her eyes turned dangerous. "If I can't have him no one will." she laughed evilly and walked away leaving Chihiro alone.

Chihiro curled up into a ball. She felt ten again, just like when Haku snapped at her, then later that night when Lin told her that there was only one Haku. She felt her stomach hurt and all she wanted to do was curl up and cry. _No. _She told herself. _I'm not going to give her the satisfaction of seeing me cry. _But she did cry. She couldn't hold back the sobs. She curled herself into a tighter ball and imagined what they were doing to him. What they would do to her.

Haku was hurt. He was actually in the same room as Chihiro, but an illusion put in place by Soren kept her from seeing him. Haku, on the other hand, could see her perfectly. He could see her crying and noted that she kept saying his name. He saw when Soren, who had finally had enough, went and pulled a spell on the girl to keep her from talking. Anger flashed through him and he found himself thrashing around to break his confinements. He was stuck in his dragon form, so he couldn't call out to her.

"_Just wait until I get out of here Soren. I'll get rid of you and your brother." _

"_He wasn't supposed to hurt you this badly baby. He seems to want your little human for himself. I told him she wasn't worth it. I mean she smells horrible and she is the ugliest thing ever. But he claims there is something about her." _

Haku growled at the thought, _"Soren let her go and I'll give you what you want" _

"_You expect me to believe that?" _Soren asked him with a laugh.

"_If I don't, you can kill me. Just let me talk to her." _

Soren nodded and waved her hand, the illusion fell and Chihiro's eyes went wide. "Haku!" she called to him.

Haku was able to turn to his human form. He winced when he heard the eagerness in her voice. He knew he was going to have to hurt her. Soren let her out of the cage. She automatically ran straight for Haku and threw her arms around him.

"You're ok! You're ok." she kept saying as she touched his face and clothes as if to assure herself that he was fine.

"Chihiro stop" he said when he found himself leaning closer to her as she stroked his bruised face.

Chihiro frowned at his harsh tone. He had only used it once before, when he was pretending not to know her when she first met Yubaba. Hurt flashed in her eyes as she looked at his steely eyes.

"Haku?" her voice was full of hurt and confusion.

Haku's face was a mask. He tried hard not to break, not to look at her with sadness. It was hard to keep his face cold.

"What's going on?" Chihiro asked, her heart seemed to wedge itself in her throat and her stomach dropped to the feet.

Something wasn't right and she knew it.

"You have to go back Chihiro." Haku's voice was cold.

"Back where? Haku what's going on?"

"Back to the human world." he almost choked on the words, it killed him to say them.

"Why? Haku I don't belong there."

"You don't belong here" he told her.

"Yes I do. I belong here. With you" tears were coming to her eyes.

"I don't want you here" he barely got the words out.

She frowned and the tears spilled over, "Then why..."

She didn't bother to finish, she just turned and ran. She didn't want to let him see her break down. When she got outside she ran for about 100 feet then tripped and fell. She barely registered the pain as her arm snapped from her weight on it. Her heart hurt more. He was playing her. This whole time he was playing with her emotions and dangling her from a string. _No, not Haku, he's not like that. _Came her voice of reason. _He doesn't want me...he doesn't want me...he doesn't want me. _She cried softly and curled herself into a ball.

Haku started to run after her when Soren appeared in front of him. "It's over baby, why are you going after her?"

Haku shoved passed her, "Because she needs to learn how to get back to the bathhouse so she can return to the human world."

"Why do you care?"

Haku rounded on her, "I said I would marry you, but I will never love you and I will never stop loving her." he said and stormed out.

Haku found Chihiro curled up. He saw that her arm was twisted the wrong way. He tried to get her to stand up, but she wouldn't. He leaned down and whispered something and her arm healed itself. Haku kept standing there until Chihiro stopped crying. She looked up.

"Here to break my heart more Haku?" she said with a cold voice.

Haku frowned, he knew she was hurt but he hated the coldness in her voice. It wasn't his Chihiro. He hurt her...again.

"Chihiro it's for your own good."

"The hell it is Haku. My own good is being here. With you. I thought I was going crazy. I thought it was just a weird dream. I got made fun of for talking about you and the spirit world. I lost all my friends. My own good is not going back to that. I was depressed Haku." somehow she kept her voice steady, even though she was shaking.

"Chihiro -"

"Save it Haku. You claimed to feel all that for me, yet you are sending me back. Did you lie to me?"

He didn't answer.

"Answer me...Answer ME!" she stood up and shoved him. "I deserve to know. Did. You. Lie. To. Me?"

The look on her face, the anger, the pain, he broke. His mask crumbled and his true emotions broke through. Tears fell down his face. Chihiro looked at him and cried with him.

"'Don't leave me' you said. You said your worst fear was me leaving, now you're sending me away." she turned away from him.

"I'm doing this for you. She'll kill you Chihiro"

Chihiro just shook her head, "Do you love me?"

Haku sighed.

"Do you love me?" she asked again, "Or was that 'three stages of love' just something you said to get me to fall for you even harder than I already was?"

Haku didn't answer her. Instead he took her face in his hands. She stopped breathing. He leaned forward and stopped just an inch away from her face. She still held her breath. He waited for her to make a confirmation that it was ok. Chihiro tilted her face upwards and nodded. Haku touched his lips to hers. It was indescribable. Her world narrowed, it was only them. His world seemed to stop. She was his world. She was what was holding him to the ground. Only her.

His kiss was all she could think about. His touch was front of her mind. His taste was all she needed. When he broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers, they were both breathing hard.

"I love you Chihiro." he whispered.

"Then why are you rejecting me?" she whispered back.

"I would never reject you. But I need you safe. This is the only way I can think to keep you safe." his voice sounded like he was in agony, his face showed the pain. "Being away from you, I can handle. You dying, I can't."

"I can't handle you being with her Haku...I really can't. Knowing that she'll have everything that I want...it kills me." she confessed, "I can't let her steal my world. I swore to be a spirit so I could be with you." she was crying now.

Haku shook her head, "She'll have me by marriage. I'll never feel for her the way I feel for you." he whispered.

Soren grew impatient. She walked out and saw them still talking. Her anger spiked. Haku could sense it so he gave Chihiro an amulet.

"This has magic in it." he told her, and, just like he did eight years before, he put his hand on her forehead and gave her instructions, "You need to think of what you want, summoning Zeniba. She'll get you back to the bathhouse where Yubaba can get you back through the gate. Go now. And remember Chihiro, I love you." he said then walked away from her and back to Soren.


	15. I will marry you

Instead of doing what Haku told her, Chihiro pressed on in the direction that they had been flying. She walked for hours before she got hungry, pulling food out of the bag, she made herself dinner then kept walking. After it got dark she built a fire and curled up in her bag. The last time she had done that she was in Haku's arms. Crying herself to sleep, she dreamed about him. The next morning she heard voices.

"Poor girl." came a male voice.

"Indeed, she's lost so much" came two identical voices.

Chihiro opened her eyes to see three beings in front of her. She let out a cry of fear and got out of bed quickly, "Please don't hurt me!"

"Relax Chihiro, we heard your plea and you passed our tests, we are here to offer you our assistance in what you want." said the twin voices.

"What is it that you do want?" said the male voice.

"To be a spirit."

"But why?" said the male again.

"To be with Haku. But it doesn't matter, he is going to be with that vile Ocean Spirit." she said.

"To be a spirit, you must chose. Either you take my offer and lose someone you love. Or you take the Twin's offer and live as a human for six years, during which you will have a child and you must leave her."

"The Twins? So you must be...Death." Chihiro gasped and bowed.

The three beings bowed back to her. "Which do you chose Chihiro?"

She looked down sadly, "Whichever I chose, I lose Haku..." she told them, "I know he will be the one to die, since I love him more than my own life. And if I chose the Twins' I lose him to Soren, but I can't let him die, and I have to try something. I chose to live as a human and wait." she told the Beings.

"Very well."

Chihiro felt herself grow warm, she looked down and noticed that she was glowing. She saw an opening to the human world and felt herself go through it. Once on the other side, the glowing disappeared and she was set down gently. _Good-bye Haku, I'll be back._

"Chihiro, earth to Chihiro, so is that a no?"

Shocked beyond all belief, Chihiro noticed that her human boyfriend was down on one knee. They gave her the chance to begin right away.

"Uh, I will marry you." she told Nagiori, who scooped her up and kissed her. He was slightly shocked when she didn't turn away, but he didn't really care. Engaged, he was engaged to Chihiro!


	16. Six years

The next six years were torturous for Chihiro. She got married within a week, got pregnant within a month, and became a mother and a widow within a year. Nagiori went into Africa for a week of doing missionary work, and came back tired and sick. After going to a doctor and doing intensive tests, it was determined that he was HIV positive. It turned out that there was a hole in his glove and he had a paper cut. When he was working with the people, one of them brushed up against him and blood got into the open cut. Luckily, since Chihiro was pregnant at the time that this was discovered, she didn't contract it. However, he refused to take the treatment, since it would make him sicker than he was. Once the disease turned to full blown AIDS, there was nothing they could do. In the back of Chihiro's mind, she knew this would make her returning to the spirit world harder. Now she was going to leave her daughter an orphan.

After the funeral, Chihiro moved back in with her parents and spent all her time thinking about him. She drew his face on every piece of paper. Or drew his dragon form. She drew herself with him, and even drew her tiny daughter, Sen, with them. She was always drawing, so her mother paid for her to go to an art class. There she drew so many dragons that she became famous for it, at least in their town. Not knowing when she would see him again, Chihiro would write down her every thought in a journal and she would address it to Dragon. Her parents thought it was a nickname for Nagiori, they never suspected that their daughter was in love with a spirit.

Once Sen turned three she was diagnosed with Leukemia, Chihiro thought it was just the flu. Sen was weak and tired all the time, so Chihiro pumped her with Vitamin C and hoped that she would get better. When she started getting bruises, Chihiro took her daughter to the hospital. They ran the tests and admitted her that night. Chihiro felt as if her world was crumbling. Not only did she lose Haku and Nagiori, there was a chance that she would loose her daughter too. Chihiro went useless when Sen had to go through Chemo. The drugs made the girl so sick that she looked like a skeleton with bruises and skin. Chihiro was so consumed that she had pushed the memory of the Spirit World back into her mind. The only thing that remained of it was a dream.

Finally remission was achieved and Sen went on maintenance therapy. Chihiro felt as if she could breathe again. She started thinking of Haku again and dreaming of returning again. Her life felt as if it started again. This dream crumbled when Sen turned five. Only a year and six months into her remission, the cancer came back, more aggressive than ever, a bone marrow transplant would be Sen's only hope. She was put on transplant list and the days turned into weeks and months for the small family. One night Chihiro go an odd dream. She kept hearing, "Return to the place where we first met." Being a huge fan of an anime, she thought it was referring to an episode of that same name. Chihiro ignored it at first and then it dawned on her. Her six years were over. She could return now! She looked at the calendar and realized that it was the same date that she had first met Haku, when she nearly drowned in the river. She got excited for half a second, then she realized that she could never leave Sen now. Chihiro had to leave the room so Sen wouldn't see her crying when Chihiro realized that she couldn't just leave to chase a dream.

Six years, six long years. As soon as Chihiro was safe, Haku refused to marry Soren. He fled to the bathhouse and stayed there under the protection of Yubaba, who secretly hated Soren and her followers. They always made such a mess in the bathhouse, and they tipped horribly. Haku constantly thought about her. He hardly did any work and spent all day working on a way to communicate with her again, of course, without her being in the river, it was useless.

One day when he was running an errand for Yubaba when Soren jumped him again. Still convinced that he loved her, Soren wanted to force marriage on Haku. When he got away from her, Soren screamed and claimed that Haku had done something to her. Of course, by then the entire Spirit World knew how the Ocean Spirits and the Wind Spirit had hurt a poor human girl that was just trying to find true love. The Spirit World shunned her and she was all but banished to the Wastes, a place for banished Spirits and Witches and Wizards.

Six long, miserable years of not seeing her. Haku was excited when the date approached. Shinigami and the Twins visited him and told him the date when he would see her again. He knew that the only way was through his river, so he waited for her to go there. He waited for hours, until the sun was setting and he realized that she wasn't coming. His heart hurt when he thought that maybe she didn't want to return. Maybe she didn't want him anymore. He left the bathhouse and went out for a walk. Where was she? Why wasn't she there? He got his answers when Shinigami and the Twins visited him again.


	17. Maybe I'm Dreaming

Sen was looking at her mom sleep. She didn't understand a lot around her, but she understood that she was sick, and that her sickness was hurting her mommah. Sen sighed and tried to get comfy, her body hurt and the needle in her arm made it hard to turn on her sides. She groaned and pushed the button that the nurses showed her to push. The nurse's voice came on the speaker asking her what was wrong.

"I hurt" Sen whispered into the speaker. "I want to turn around."

"I'll be on my way."

The nurse entered her room and had a soft cloth and a bunch of pillows. She placed the cloth under Sen's hip bone and the put a tiny pillow under that, those were to help keep her bone from bruising her. Then she helped Sen turn onto her side and placed the pillows behind her to help her. The nurse then took out a syringe and put the medicine in the I.V. Sen felt like she was floating when the nurse was done. She smiled as sleep took over her small body.

About an hour later, Sen felt movement in the room. Opening her groggy eyes she saw someone standing at the foot of her bed. She stretched her arm out. When the figure didn't move she frowned.

"Please do the squeezing thing on my arm, I want to go to sleep." she said in a tired voice.

"Uh, I'm not a doctor." said the person.

Sen frowned and saw Chihiro move, as if she had a reaction to the voice. "Haku..." whispered Chihiro.

The man standing at the foot of her bed looked over at Chihiro. Sen didn't like that, "Hey! Are you lost mister?" she said loudly.

Chihiro woke up and looked at the person.

_Oh no! _She groaned and hid her face. _Too far, too far! I let it go too far! Now I'm not just dreaming about him and hearing him, I'm seeing him too. _

Sen frowned more, "Mommah is this man lost?"

_She can see him too...maybe I'm dreaming. _

"Can I help you?" Chihiro asked the man.

"Uh...can we talk outside."

_His voice! His voice his wonderful voice! I am dreaming! _She stood up and followed him out to the hallway. Once out there he seemed hesitant.

"Chihiro." he whispered.

That did it, she was sure it was him. She threw herself in his arms and snuggled up against him, taking in everything about him. She kept touching his face, his arms, his chest, just to be sure that it was him. She was crying and clinging to him. He leaned in to kiss her but she pushed back.

"Chihiro?" his eyes looked hurt.

He knew this would happen. She moved on, she didn't love him anymore.

Chihiro shook her head, "When I wake up, this will hurt a lot more."

"You aren't dreaming." he told her with a laugh.

"Then how are you here Haku?" she said in an impatient voice.

"Shinigami and the Twins granted me entry to the Human World so I could see you again." he told her.

"So you're going to leave again?" she looked down sadly.

"I have a choice to make, same as you. They told me that circumstances arose here in your life, these circumstances were what kept you away. What happened Chihiro?"

He asked the question, but he feared the answer. Would she tell him to leave?

"I got married and had a daughter. My husband went to Africa before she was born, when he came back, he brought back an incurable disease, a life sentence. He refused to get treatment for it until it was too late, so he died. Now she has a different disease. She needs a transplant or she's going to die."

The words made it final. She knew it had come to this. Either Sen got the transplant, or she would die. Chihiro started crying again. Haku put his arms around her and held her as she cried. He could see now that she couldn't return to the Spirit World. Sighing he released her. Chihiro looked up at him with watery eyes and Haku was once again struck how beautiful she looked, even after she was crying. He was also shocked that six years of being apart did nothing to his attraction to her. He leaned towards her and Chihiro leaned towards him. A voice over the intercom caused them to spring apart. They forgot that they were in the hospital and Sen's was only in the other room.

"I should get back in there." Chihiro whispered.

"Yes, you should." Haku whispered.

"You'll stay here?"

"Yes."

"How long?"

"As long as you need me."

With that, they returned to the room and Chihiro introduced Sen to her old friend.


	18. Just Go Back To The Spirit World Haku

The next three years were tough. Sen got her transplant and was recovering nicely. Haku stayed with Chihiro, but he would disappear for long periods of time through out the day, sometimes he would stay away all day and only returned at night. The absences were hard on Chihiro, but surprisingly they were even harder on Sen. She grew to think of Haku as her father, so when he went missing, Sen would wait at the door for him. Chihiro questioned him about it one day when he came home after midnight. He told her that he was visiting the spirit world and Chihiro felt her world stop spinning.

"All this time...you have been...and you couldn't take me?"

"Chihiro, it hasn't been for my own amusement. I needed to research some stuff." he told her. "I found out something."

Chihiro didn't want to hear it. She was furious with him. He knew that she dreamed of it every night. He knew that she missed Lin, Kamajii, No-Face, Zeniba, Boh, and even Yubaba. Haku waited for a few days before approaching the subject again.

"Chihiro, what if I told you that you could return to the spirit world?"

"I know I can Haku, but I would have to leave Sen and I can't do that." she told him as she put away Sen's laundry. The girl was at school.

"I know, but she can come too." Haku told her.

Chihiro put down the pile of clothes and looked at him, "Why Haku? So she can go there and be a human in a world of Spirits? And be afraid of disappearing? And be insulted constantly about her smell? And be threatened by human hating spirits? Or, if she wants to be a spirit, she needs to pass ridiculous tests and have to leave the world she loves and go through what I went through? No Haku."

She picked up the pile and started putting away the clothes again.

"She's been touched by Death." Haku told Chihiro.

"So what?" Chihiro threw down the clothes and turned away from him. "I don't want her to have the life I did Haku!"

"I didn't know your life was so horrible" he whispered.

"Oh Haku stop it! You were a spirit!" She whirled around to face him "You had all these powers and you could fly. You had girls falling over you!" she shook her head. "You know what I had, I had to live with this huge secret. I had to get called a liar at a young age. I had to be shunned by my friends and kids at school because I couldn't stop talking about you and the spirit world. I had to get go all through my school years being called weird. You don't know how it feels Haku."

"I know what it feels like to have everyone hate you!" Haku retaliated. "You don't know what it's like to not know your own name. Or to not be able to get home, ever."

"I know what it feels like to think that your best friend broke a promise." she told them then walked out of the room, she ran into their room and slammed the door, then locked it.

Haku tried to open the door with the key, but failed. He sighed and rested his head against the wood. He could hear her throwing stuff and crying. It killed him to hear her like that.

"Chihiro, I never wanted to break my promise. I was sure you would have forgotten about me, so why would I go back and bring it all back again. I thought you would have moved on." he said through the door.

"Then why did you make the promise Haku? If you knew you weren't going to come back for me, why make the promise." she asked him.

"Please let me in." he told her.

Chihiro unlocked the door and opened it. Her hand was bleeding.

"What happened?" Haku asked alarmed.

"I threw a pillow at the shelf and a candle fell on my hand, the glass shattered." she said in a blank voice and shrugged.

Haku took her hand but she wrenched it away from him. "I'd rather have this pain thanks." she said coldly. Haku winced but didn't try to take her hand again.

"Chihiro please."

"Just go back to the spirit world Haku." she whispered and turned away from him.

"Is that what you want?" he sounded broken.

"Yes. That's exactly what I want. Just go back home and tell everyone that I miss them. I can't return there, not with the risk that Sen might have another relapse."

Chihiro shivered at the thought of losing her daughter. It hurt more than losing Haku.

"If that's what you want." he whispered.

There was a gust of wind and Chihiro turned around. Haku was gone. Chihiro crumpled on the floor and sobbed. She knew it was for the best, he didn't belong in her world and she couldn't return to his. It was better if he just left and let them have time to heal. A clean break. She sighed and took the hair tie that was given to her by her friends, out of her hair. She was tempted to burn it, but Chihiro knew that would hurt too much to do. So all she did is put it with Sen's stuff. Let it protect her now.

The six months that followed were rough. Chihiro lied to Sen and told her that Haku got called away to work in America. She didn't tell her that he would never return, just that he was going to be gone for a long time. Sen cried a bit, but quickly got over it when she got involved with choir. Sports were out of the question and Sen, being an only child, got bored quickly, so music was her way of escaping. Chihiro refused to even look at her journals and just kept focusing on living one day at a time. The day Sen found the hair tie and questioned Chihiro about it, Chihiro just said that Haku had left it for her as a present.

Haku tried to go on without Chihiro, it was hard but he managed. He asked Yubaba to take his memories of her away once it got unbearable. She agreed to take the feelings from him, but his memories would stay. He went back to being cold and uncaring. His heart was as cold as ice and his body was colder. Any warmth that he had felt with Chihiro had long since become frozen. He was uncaring and even the guests couldn't tolerate him. He was Yubaba's henchman again, that was all he would be.


	19. Beginning Her New Life

Haku could ignore his memories during the day, but at night, the dreams plagued him. Dreams of Chihiro, dreams of their kiss. Dreams of everything they did together with Sen. One night Haku got awoken by something odd. When his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he saw a young girl standing there looking at him. She looked like her, he groaned, thinking this was just another dream. She was looking at Haku shocked.

"Haku?"

Her voice was wrong. It was too young. He noticed that it was not her, it was her daughter.

"Sen, what are you doing here?"

He asked the question, but he knew. Unless brought through the spirit gate, or by a spirit, a human only passed through the Spirit World through death.

"Sen go back, you have to go back." he told the girl.

"Haku where am I?"

"You're in the spirit world. What's going on?"

"I started feeling dizzy and sick. I couldn't breathe and mommah was crying. The medics got there and they were all over me. I felt like I was floating and now I'm here." she told him. "Spirit World? Am I dead?"

"Not yet, go back Sen. Focus on your body, find the link and return to it. Don't leave your mom this way." he was begging her.

When she disappeared, he wondered where she had gone.

Chihiro's heart stopped beating. Sen couldn't be dying, she was fine! She was supposed to be alright! She couldn't stand it if Sen died. She just lost Haku. Chihiro looked at her daughter, as the medics shocked her heart. Finally the blip came on the portable monitor and Sen started breathing again. Sen's eyes looked to Chihiro.

"Mommah, I saw Haku. He told me to come back" she said weakly then passed out.

When Sen was admitted into the hospital, just a few minutes from the Kohaku River, Chihiro went to the river. She stepped into the water and let the tears fall. She could feel when Haku became connected with it.

"Thank you Haku." she told the river.

She smiled when she felt it swell around her. She let herself sink into it and let the water envelope her, surprisingly she could breathe.

"_Chihiro..."_

"_I miss you Haku. But it's better that you stay there. You don't belong in my world. I belong in yours, but it seems as if I will never be able to return to it." _

"_Sen has been touched by Death, same as you were. That's why you were able to return to the Spirit World. You opened the Gate last time. Your parents were able to pass through with you."_

"_What are you trying to say Haku?"_

"_That you don't have to leave Sen. Right now she's in a place between your world and mine. Call Shinigami and the Twins to you, you know how." _

"_So we can both..."_

"_You belong to both worlds now, both of you do."_

"_Thank you Haku." _

She felt the river move under her. She grabbed onto his horns and Haku carried her to the shore. Climbing out Chihiro summoned Shinigami and the Twins.

"The dragon told you?" Shinigami asked her.

"Yes. What would she have to do?"

"She's a child. If she chooses to follow her mother, we cannot stop her. Because of her current state, she may not survive in the Human World. It would be to her benefit to become a spirit."

"And me?"

"You can return at any time. You've done the ultimate sacrifice. You gave up eternal life to remain with your dying child. It's a bigger sacrifice than giving up your child for eternal life."

"So how would it work?' 

"Say the word and we'll take you both" The Twins said in unison.

Chihiro nodded, "Take us to the Spirit World."

Chihiro felt herself grow warm. She was glowing and her spirit was being separated from her body. She watched as the woman fell in a heap on the floor. As if by magic, she was moved towards the river, which took her under immediately. Somehow she knew that the lungs would be filled by water, to make it look as if the woman drowned.

At the same time, Sen felt painless. She saw herself separate from the girl lying on the bed. She saw the nurses and doctors rush into the room and shock her, but it did nothing. One looked at the clock and said in a sad voice, "Time of death, 23:30"

Chihiro noted that she was feeling stronger. Somehow she knew everything there was to know. She knew that she could change her age at will. She also knew that if she did a certain thing with her spirit, she would turn into a dragon, a female version of a certain river spirit's dragon form. She also knew that her daughter would be the smaller version of her.

Haku was waiting for them both to arrive. He was smiling widely when he saw her, his Chihiro. She smiled when she saw him, as did Sen. They both ran towards him, but Sen was faster. She hurled herself at Haku crying, "Daddy!' and wrapped her legs around his waist. Chihiro made a face but let Sen have her moment. She was glad that Sen accepted Haku as her father.

Finally Haku's eyes met Chihiro's. He set Sen down and walked over to Chihiro.

"Are you happy now?"

"No." Chihiro answered. She smiled at the look at Haku's face, then leaned in to kiss him, "Happy isn't the word to describe how I'm feeling right now." she told him and threw herself into his arms.


	20. Epilogue

After becoming a Spirit, Chihiro returned to her eighteen year old self, as did Haku.

Haku and Chihiro got married as soon as she was settled in.

Sen grew up happily surrounded by the Spirits coming and and out of the bathhouse. She eventually forgot that she had a life other than being a Spirit. After about a month she did odd jobs for the workers of the bathhouse when she was old enough, she got to work in the bathhouse taking Chihiro's place. She also became Boh's best friend

Yubaba was annoyed that she had to have a free ward in the bathhouse, but soon Sen became the little runner around the house, Yubaba forgot what it was like not to have her there.

Boh didn't like Sen for a while, since she took up all of Chihiro's time, but when Sen agreed to play with him for hours on end, he wanted her with him forever.

Mangetsu and Miyaki ended up with Soren in the Wastes.

Chihiro had another child after she and Haku were married. It was a boy.

Chihiro's body was found in the Kohaku River about a day after she joined the Spirit World. It was pronounced as a suicide, since her daughter had died the day she had apparently drowned herself. Her parents thought it was because she lost Nagiori and Sen. They had a funeral for both mother and daughter. They were saddened by the loss until Chihiro and Sen visited them in a dream and told them both that they were happy now. "With Daddy" Sen said. They thought she meant Nagiori, even though she never knew him.

Chihiro was so happy that she was with Haku and her daughter that she never missed her life, until the day that she saw her parents pass through the Spirit World. Realizing how much she missed them, and how hard it was for them to lose her, she broke down crying. Haku held her and comforted her for a week while she mourned for them.


	21. After Happily Ever After

Sen couldn't remember her old life. She couldn't recall what it felt like to be sick, or bald. She couldn't remember her real father's face, or her grandmother's smile. She struggled to pull to memory her grandfather's voice, or her best friend's name. The longer she remained in the spirit world, the more her old life slipped away. She could see the sadness hidden in her mother's smile, could hear the concern in Haku's smooth voice. She knew this revelation should worry her; after all, a person with no history had no future.

Oh but she could remember the exact day she became a spirit. She could remember feeling the forgotten pain slip away leaving only lightness. She could recall how easy it was to twist her very essence into the form of a dragon, an identical version of her mother's and a miniature version of her step-father's. She remembered the days learning spells with Granny, and her lessons on herbs with her Grandfather Kamaji. She remembered with clarity, ever business lesson Yubaba gave her, and every game Boh made her learn. Sen could remember the soreness she felt after a long day working with Rin in the big tub, and her flying lessons with her parents. But memories of her human life slipped passed her like sand in an hourglass.

Sen could hear her parents whispering amongst themselves, Haku wondered if every spirit was once human, and simply forgot themselves. Chihiro quietly reminded him that she recalled every memory she ever had as a human. Haku would then remind her that she also had an enchanted hair tie that protected her from anything. Sen didn't mind listening to them. She didn't care when she forgot her Japanese history (well from the human side anyway). It didn't phase her when she had to ask her mother who Nagiori was (She had found Chihiro's diary.)

Then came the day when Sen woke up with no recollection of her human life whatsoever. Many centuries had passed, the stench of humanity had finally left he bathhouse. The nature spirits were living peacefully. Everything was clean and healthy. The spirits believed the humans had finally died out and left behind an empty planet. Plans were being made to take down the gate and join the two worlds once and for all, the belief was that the spirit world would finally be safe from human influence.

"But what if it isn't?" Chihiro asked during one meeting, "Humans took care of their planet once too, until they learned how to build machines that destroyed all that was created."

"But what if the humans are long dead!?" Came the returned cry.

"Humans lasted thousands of years!" Chihiro countered, "They adapt, they are resilient. I think the gate needs to stay in place to protect ourselves and our children!"

"Chihiro is just afraid her dragon will find another human and mate with it instead." Soren voiced. (Haku and Chihiro pardoned those who wronged them years ago, begging the head Lords and Ladies to relinquish their banishments.)

"I'm trying to protect our future! The gate doesn't let just anyone in, they have to be special, they have to have pure intentions-"

"So how did your parents get in?" Boh interrupted.

"Because they didn't plan to steal the food of the spirits until they passed the gate." Haku answered, seeing his wife's struggle to answer, "They came to explore, they wanted to see the abandoned amusement park the gate resembles. They wanted to show their daughter the new adventures in her new hometown. Their intent was pure, but the sin of gluttony tempted them. Chihiro's pure intention to return home reopened the gate and allowed them to leave. Only children can wander through anymore, and Chiriro, Sen or I send them home."

"When was the last time a child wandered through?" Sen asked in a quiet voice.

"Fifty years ago. And the tale she told us was not a happy one. I didn't wish to send her back through, but when all of us on the council redid the enchantments on all the gates, we swore to return humans back to their world before they could truly become spirited away."

* * *

><p>Sen held her tongue until the meeting was over with no conclusion. It wasn't until they were back at home that she spoke again, "I just don't understand, why were we the last humans allowed to stay?"<p>

"This world is fragile, Sen." Chihiro answered in a soft voice, "When I was here as a child, I almost caused the destruction of the bathhouse and could have started a war if I had said or done the wrong thing! As such I caused quite a spark when I returned before your birth."

"It's for the best, Sen." Sen's eyes fell on her father, "it's your turn to patrol the gate tonight. We'll discuss this more at a later date.

* * *

><p>Later that night, Sen was standing beside the gate waiting for the human that would probably never pass through. She was practicing her magic when she felt the tell-tale feel of magic. The gate was opening.<p>

A boy walked through, looking dirty and worse for wear. Her had on a dirty tunic and ripped pants. His hair was singed and he smelled of burned flesh, one glance and Sen could see why. His arm was badly blistered, the smell was enough to almost turn her stomach.

"Finally." He whispered before collapsing on the ground before her.


	22. The Planet is dying

Sen knew the boy needed to make his way back to the human world, but he had to walk back on his own. She could not approach the gate, it wouldn't open on their side if she was too close. She couldn't go fetch her parents, the boy would probably wake up before she got to them, then would wander off and disappear before she returned. Sen also couldn't let him sleep until he was ready to wake up, he would fade from the world within a few minutes. With a sigh she knelt next to the boy and rolled him onto his back.

Her hands began to glow with a faint blue light, her lips moved, an ancient spell muttered across her lips. "awaken." she whispered loud enough for the words to reach the boy's ears.

Within a few seconds his eyes opened and Sen could get a good look at him. He was still bound, the traumatic experience he had gone through in the human world, matched with the travel through the gate made his legs refuse to work. He watched the girl survey his injuries.

"You need to leave. I'll unbind you" she did, "You should get out of here before it gets dark."

"What happens then?" he asked in a small voice, laced with an accent she didn't remember.

"They light the lanterns, the spirits awaken, this entire field fills with water. You'll drown."

"It's better than being back there." he spoke so low, his throat sounded sore, and she could hear wheezing with every breath.

"Why was there fire?" Sen asked, tilting her head to the side.

"The forest outside of the tunnel is in flames. The sun is so hot. The lakes dried, the trees are dying. Dry trees are catching fire, the ocean is rising and getting hotter by the day."

"We've been cut off." Sen whispered, turning into a dragon before she had time to think. She lowered herself enough for the boy to climb onto her, he got the message and held on tight to her horns.

* * *

><p>Haku glanced up when he saw the shadow that was his daughter float overhead. He squinted and frowned at the display he saw, a human.<p>

"Sen..." he warned as soon as she touched down and changed back.

"I didn't have time to send him back, we need an emergency meeting of the council and the Heads. Something is happening in the human world and we need to know what it is!"

As soon as the meeting was assembled, and the human was fed, Sen stepped atop the platform to speak, "We need to close the gates permanently." she started.

A cry of outrage circled it's way around the room, "We thought you brought us here for an actual issue, not to haggle over the gates again."

"It is a serious issue. The planet is dying."

"Sen, dear, we would feel it." a gentle water sprite chastised gently.

"We've been cut off from that world. I don't know what exactly caused what. Did we get cut off because the human Earth is dying, or is it dying because we've been cut off. When was the last time anyone visited?"

There was silence in the room, no one could remember the last time they saw what they built in the other land. Sen motioned for the boy to come forward, ignoring the noses wrinkled in disgust.

"How is a human here?"  
>"She let one in?"<br>"How dare a human come to this meeting."

"This human told me what I needed to know. Look at him, he's burned and dirty." Sen started.

"Why do we care?"  
>"He's just a human."<br>"A smelly human."  
>"I forgot what human's smelled like."<p>

"Please listen!" Sen cried, "He told me, the earth is getting hotter, the water is drying, the plants are dying. The sun is burning the planet!"

There was silence in the room, the boy did look worse for wear, the smell of human mixed with the smell of burnt flesh and fibers.

"Someone needs to investigate this." a new voice concluded.

All heads turned to look at the intruders, and suddenly every spirit was on the floor bowing in respect. The Twins of Life, Inochi and Jinsei, and Death, Shinigami, himself had joined their meeting.

"The very balance of our worlds is threatened by this new development." Death concluded, "Someone needs to go to the human side and try to revive it."

"I'll go." Chihiro stood, along with Haku, "We'll both go."

"Chihiro, you're quest has ended. The little human cannot be the protagonist in every tale." the Twins said together.

"Your daughter will go." Shinigami decided.

"But she-"

"She is one of the last humans allowed into this world, only you two can pass freely with our blessing, but we want her to go."

"But I don't remember any of it." Sen spoke up, "My life in the human world is but a figment in my imagination now, I don't even recall my old father's name."

"All the more reason for you to go, Sen. You won't be distracted by trying to find information of those long gone." Inochi started, "I'm sorry Chihiro, but your memories will hinder you. The world beyond those gates may be something you've never seen before. We shall send Sen, and allow her to keep her spirit powers."

Haku and Chihiro sighed in relief.

"However," Jinsei put in, "There will be a limit to what you can do. If you do not give yourself enough time to recover your strength, you will be stripped of your eternal life and left a human, with no recollection of the spirit world or your parents."

"I can do it." Sen nodded, "I will not let anyone down."

* * *

><p>"This is as far as we can go. Just walk to the gate and don't look back. We'll see each other again, my daughter. I promise." Haku felt a sense of deja vu come over him as he spoke.<p>

Chihiro watched the human and her daughter walk towards the gate, Sen hesitated slightly, her body tilted to the side to turn look back, but she caught herself and passed through with steal determination.

"Why did you tell me not to look back, all those years ago?" Chihiro couldn't help but ask.

"Because I wouldn't have been able to let you go."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: You probably guessed it by now, this is a second part of this story. I could have made a different story for it, but it seemed right to continue it on the original.**


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